USS MAHAN DDG72 (Photo from USS Hadeley.com)From Yahoo News/AP:
ABOARD THE USS MAHAN – American warships off the lawless Somali coast are using unmanned drones to hunt pirates threatening one of the world's most important shipping lanes.
Sailors aboard the USS Mahan told The Associated Press they have been using the spy flights daily to spot potential pirate mother ships.
For years, the U.S. has used drones to track potential terrorists among Somalia's warlords, but the Navy said more and more of the planes are now being used to fight piracy.
The drones can fly more than 3,000 feet (915 meters) above sea level and relay pictures detailed enough to recognize the flags flown on fishing boats that Somalis use to avoid detection.
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My Comment: Translating the success of the Iraq and Afghanistan battlefields to the open blue seas.