ISRAEL'S PIONEER TERMED AS RELIABLE UAV IN IRAQ

BAGHDAD [MENL] — An aging Israeli-origin unmanned air vehicle, currently deployed in Faluja, was said to have out-performed advanced American platforms during the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force has deployed the Pioneer UAV for forward aerial reconnaissance, artillery fire adjustment and search and rescue efforts during the battle and subsequent siege of Faluja. Officials said the Pioneer has been operating 24 hours a day by Marine Unmanned Aerial Squadron 2 as part of an effort to assist ground commanders to acquire a better picture of the battlefield.

Officials said the Pioneer supported the entry of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment into Falujah in early April. The UAV sent real-time images that described the entire battlefield for the invading marine force.

The Pioneer can be launched by either a rolling takeoff or via a truck-mounted pneumatic launcher or rocket. The UAV is piloted by operators working from truck-mounted portable control stations for close range. The marine squadron’s unit operations center directs the Pioneer for longer-range missions.