A routine fishing trip off Florida’s Panhandle took an unexpected turn when a group aboard a fishing charter reportedly hauled in a US military drone believed to be a clone of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136.Hot Spots Charters, a fishing company based in Pensacola, shared photographs of the unusual catch on Facebook, showing the drone lying aboard the vessel alongside more conventional fishing catches.“Great 6 hour today with this crew! If anyone is looking for their drone please call Hot Spots!” charter captain Daniel Arsenault wrote in the post.
Drone reportedly recovered near Eglin Air Force Base
The discovery was reportedly made in waters near Eglin Air Force Base, which is home to the US Air Force’s 96th Test Wing.According to defense publication The War Zone, an Eglin Air Force Base spokesperson confirmed that a drone had gone missing from the base’s inventory, although the Air Force did not identify the model.“I can confirm that we were doing a test and the test article went down,” the spokesperson told The War Zone.Arsenault told CNN that he encountered the aircraft by chance while offshore.“Riding along offshore and saw it floating,” he said.
Drone appears to be US-made Shahed-136 clone
A routine fishing trip off Florida’s Panhandle turned unusual when anglers found a suspected US military drone floating near Eglin Air Force Base. (Photo: Hot Spot Charters)
The aircraft photographed aboard the fishing boat appeared to be an FLM 136, a US-produced replica of Iran’s Shahed-136, a one-way attack drone that has featured prominently in conflicts involving Ukraine and Iran.The US Air Force announced late last year that it had developed a clone of the Iranian-designed aircraft under the Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System, or LUCAS, programme.The drones are manufactured by Arizona-based SpektreWorks. According to the information provided in the report, the aircraft are approximately 9.8 feet (2.9 metres) long, have a wingspan of 8.2 feet and weigh about 70 pounds.US Central Command announced in early March that LUCAS drones were being used in the war with Iran, describing their deployment as “delivering American-made retribution.”
Drone recovered with missing nose and propeller
Photographs shared by Hot Spots Charters showed the aircraft with its nose section missing and damage to the rear, including the propeller.The fishing company later posted an update indicating that the drone had been collected.“The black suvs came and got their drone, all is good!” the company wrote on Facebook.
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