Last month, The War Zone reported on a bizarre drone encounter that occurred in the skies above Tucson, Arizona. According to reports, on the evening of February 9, 2021 around 10:30 PM local time, a helicopter belonging to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, encountered what has been described by KOLD’s Dan Marries, who interviewed an FBI agent assigned to the case, as a “highly modified drone” in controlled airspace. Another helicopter operated by the Tucson Police Department’s Air Support Unit was called in to help track and potentially identify the drone alongside the one from CBP, but the drone was able to evade them both and remain unidentified. Shortly after the incident was disclosed, the FBI released a statement asking for help from the public regarding any information related to the encounter.
In the days since we first reported on the Tucson drone encounter, individuals have reached out with new information that adds further context to this still-developing story. A source with direct knowledge of the incident’s details told The War Zone they believed the drone was highly unlikely to be battery-powered based on the altitude, distance, and speed at which it flew. The source also stated it seems as though the drone was equipped with an infrared camera based how it was able to dynamically maneuver, including in relation to the helicopters chasing it, despite the low level of ambient light at the time of the incident. They also added that it is “only logical that it was looking towards DM’s [Davis Monthan AFB] flight line” based on its location.
We can now also confirm that the CBP helicopter involved was indeed an Airbus AS350, commonly used by CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO) branch for aerial patrol and surveillance missions.
The same source also tells us that the unusual drone was first spotted near a complex of fuel tanks just west of Runway 12 at the U.S. Air Force’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. This is well within the Class C airspace that surrounds Davis-Monthan, as well as the Tucson International Airport, and is very close to the fence line surrounding the base. Class C airspace is defined by the FAA as “airspace from the surface to 4,000 feet above the airport elevation (charted in MSL) surrounding those airports that have an operational control tower, are serviced by a radar approach control, and have a certain number of IFR [instrument flight rules] operations or passenger enplanements.” The FAA states that “for flight near airports in controlled airspace, drone operators must receive an airspace authorization prior to operation” and that these authorizations “come with altitude limitations and may include other operational provisions.”
In a statement, the FBI wrote that the drone violated 18 USC 39B, “Unsafe operation of unmanned aircraft,” which includes “knowing or reckless interference or disruption of a manned aircraft, and the operation of unmanned aircraft in close proximity to airports.” The FBI called the drone’s actions “illegal and extremely dangerous,” yet added that it’s “possible the drone operator(s) are not aware they are violating the law.”
The description of the drone’s initial observed location would appear to match the location of a terminal owned by Kinder Morgan, an energy company that operates fuel pipelines and other energy infrastructure. Some 40% of the natural gas consumed in America flows through Kinder Morgan’s pipelines. On their website, Kinder Morgan states that their terminals are used to store and handle various fuels, petroleum products, and chemicals – clearly not the place anyone would want an unauthorized or unidentified drone to be loitering. While drones are used in pipeline and tank inspections, and by Kinder Morgan specifically for those tasks, the unique nature of what has been reported in this incident does not appear to suggest this drone’s operators were executing that type of professional work.
See the pics and read the rest here: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40756/new-details-emerge-on-the-highly-modified-drone-that-outran-police-helicopters-over-tucson
Hypersonic drone with military attachments…. or how bout just a evil drone with everything attached.