FTFA: Philippine navy officer Capt. Jason Rommel Galang said, adding it was not clear why the unmanned aerial vehicle ended up off Masbate.

"It was a stroke of luck", he continued, "it's like it came out of nowhere...with no warning. The important thing is we can now start to sop up this mess."

It's a target drone for gunnery practice, which is why it is painted bright farking orange and blown the fark up.

Capt. Jason Rommel Galang

YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARD!

"Masbate" island? Really?!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BQM-74

It's a target drone. Not news.

That looks like a target drone...

*quick Google-check*

Yup, target drone. So, someone is just a crappy shot, and didn't manage to shoot it down during an excercise?

MelGoesOnTour: "Masbate" island? Really?!

I stayed there for waaaaay too long it's hard to get off.

meddleRPI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BQM-74

It's a target drone. Not news.

43 seconds! *shakes tiny fist*

Issa target drone.
Nothing to see here.

MelGoesOnTour: "Masbate" island? Really?!

Farkers paradise

MelGoesOnTour: "Masbate" island? Really?!

It's pronounced Mas-buh-TAY.

Uisce Beatha: 43 seconds! *shakes tiny fist*

way more than that, buddy

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Bettina Malone said efforts were under way to determine if the drone was one of those used in American military air target training exercises and why it was in the waters off Masbate, about 235 miles southeast of Manila. The type of drone found was not armed and not used for surveillance, she said.

Hey! It was just a training drone. I'm sure you all see those all of the time. I mean, its not like we were spying on YOU or anything.

This is the military equivalent of listening to an argument through a door and having one or the people who is arguing open the door, making you fall into the room.

Target drone.

Uisce Beatha: That looks like a target drone...

*quick Google-check*

Yup, target drone. So, someone is just a crappy shot, and didn't manage to shoot it down during an excercise?

Lots of times, you aim behind the drone; the radar can tell if you're hitting what you're aiming at, and you don't use up so many drones that way.

Pinner: MelGoesOnTour: "Masbate" island? Really?!

I stayed there for waaaaay too long it's hard to get off.

all you end up doing is hanging around.
Eventually you stop standing up for yourself and limp along.

DROxINxTHExWIND: U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Bettina Malone said efforts were under way to determine if the drone was one of those used in American military air target training exercises and why it was in the waters off Masbate, about 235 miles southeast of Manila. The type of drone found was not armed and not used for surveillance, she said.

Hey! It was just a training drone. I'm sure you all see those all of the time. I mean, its not like we were spying on YOU or anything.

This is the military equivalent of listening to an argument through a door and having one or the people who is arguing open the door, making you fall into the room.

Except that we operate surveillance drones in the Philippines all the time, with the full cooperation of the Philippine government, to spy on the Muslim insurgents. A cursory wiki search shows that's not a surveillance drone.

What a bunch of wankers.

MelGoesOnTour: "Masbate" island? Really?!

Well, it's two islands. Separated by the Strait of Tur.

There once was a drone that was floating,
almost as if it was gloating
"I won't do more missions
'til I've done enough fishin'
Now let me get back to my boating."

"The type of drone found was not armed and not used for surveillance, she said."

Before coming here and seeing every other post say, "TARGET DRONE!", I really, REALLY, wondered what purpose a dron that isn't armed or for surveliance was.

Thanks, Farkers.

It's a glorified clay pigeon, nothing more. Sell it to Iran or something.

mbillips: DROxINxTHExWIND: U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Bettina Malone said efforts were under way to determine if the drone was one of those used in American military air target training exercises and why it was in the waters off Masbate, about 235 miles southeast of Manila. The type of drone found was not armed and not used for surveillance, she said.

Hey! It was just a training drone. I'm sure you all see those all of the time. I mean, its not like we were spying on YOU or anything.

This is the military equivalent of listening to an argument through a door and having one or the people who is arguing open the door, making you fall into the room.

Except that we operate surveillance drones in the Philippines all the time, with the full cooperation of the Philippine government, to spy on the Muslim insurgents. A cursory wiki search shows that's not a surveillance drone.

Way to shiat on my joke with "information" and "facts".

Jackson Herring: Uisce Beatha: 43 seconds! *shakes tiny fist*

way more than that, buddy

Shiat, now you expect me to read a whole 4 comments before mine?

/Slow typer is slow
//Dammit

This just in. It's really a weather balloon. Nothing to see here, citizen!

If it weren't for the bright orange paint job and the stealthy design, my first thought would have been a target drone.

/anyone else think target drone

I that it's already been pointed out that is a BQM-74 Chukar aerial target (as indicated in the article), hence the bright orange paint and the clearly marked US insignia.

The US Navy and the Philippines military regularly hold joint training exercises. The wikipedia article has a picture of one of these targets floating (and being recovered) in the exact state as the article picture.

Being that they float, they do drift along in the ocean currents. I'm not sure why this is considered newsworthy.

Rufus Lee King: Do you know what else floats?

[24.media.tumblr.com image 449x590]

Hello, sailors. *hops in*

Rufus Lee King: Do you know what else floats?

Very small rocks?

Can't believe how short those wings are. Looks more capable of floating than flying.

Well since everyone else said it I was going to say it looked like a practice drone or one of them old old school cruise missles

fat boy: MelGoesOnTour: "Masbate" island? Really?!

Farkers paradise

Yeah. I was ready to book a trip until I read it again.

Jackson Herring: It's a target drone for gunnery practice, which is why it is painted bright farking orange and blown the fark up.

Came here to say this. Nothing else needs to be said.

Rufus Lee King: Do you know what else floats?

[24.media.tumblr.com image 449x590]

I don't think I'm mistaken when I point out that one of the guys under the hose is jacking the other one off.

Oh, Navy. You and your antics.

The Iranians have already reverse-engineered the target drone, and will use it in their gunnery practice immediately. All hail the powerful Persian geniuses!

So, if she weighs as much as a drone...?

Looks like an AK-47 drone to me.

I wonder long long and far this target drone drifted, before the fishermen found it? Usually, these things have some kind of plug or link that dissolves in water and floods or disassembles the item to sink it, or a small demo charge to scuttle it.

It was an escaped drone with emotions. His name is Sonny.

"Suspected" the article headline says. The more I look a the picture, I just can't imagine why they "suspect" it belongs to the US. I doesn't say "US" on  there. Our aircraft aren't painted orange. Don't our aircraft have "The Navy" painted on the side? I wonder how they'll ever be able to make a positive ID? It looks terribly small and inexpensive so I'm sure no one would have any idea if they had lost it. It could be anybody's. It's just going to be complicated

Jackson Herring: It's a target drone for gunnery practice, which is why it is painted bright farking orange and blown the fark up.

What I was thinking. Most of the time they don't want you to know they see what your up too.

It's a BQM-74 Chukar target drone.



The only time those suckers have seen service in wartime is as decoys during the gulf war.

fluffy2097: It's a BQM-74 Chukar target drone.

Target drone? Since it appears to be intact, I guess the training wasn't very going very well the day this one was launched.

Fark Me To Tears: Target drone? Since it appears to be intact, I guess the training wasn't very going very well the day this one was launched.

AA guns fire ahead of their targets, so the aircraft flies into the flack.

Since training rounds are in use, no flack is created and the hits are calculated by radar proximity or something similar.

It's designed to be re-usable. You can see the recovery parachute in the water behind it.