Unmanned helicopter tested in Cayo; can it combat narco-trafficking?
A cutting edge military technology helicopter is being tested in Belize by the U.S. army. The applications for the chopper are yet to be determined, but it could be a major factor in the future ways in which governments fight the war on drugs. The helicopter and FORESTER radar are being tested in order to determine how well they can function in a densely forested environment. Two prototypes of the chopper can be seen over a twenty miles range of Mountain Ridge in the Cayo District. The choppers have been here for a few weeks and today the media was treated to view the helicopter that flies without a pilot. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, called the YMQ-18A/FORESTER was on display this morning at the Central Farm Airfield. The sleek and aerodynamic design of the small helicopter with a large radar and built in cameras are only part of the technology that the U.S. has brought to Belize.
Lt. Colonel Kent Guffy, Product Manager for UAV, U.S. Army
kent guffy
“The biggest difference is it is unmanned. It’s not pilotless though. It’s unmanned as there is no pilot sitting in the actual aircraft. The pilots actually sit in the tan vans and fly it via computer screens.”
Jose Sanchez
“Is the technology similar to that of the drones used in Iraq and Afghanistan?”
Lt. Colonel Kent Guffy
“This one—the biggest thing that sets this one off is that it’s what we call a V- toll, vertical take off and landing. So it’s a helicopter; it doesn’t require an extended runway. It just requires a relatively flat surface to take off from. So that’s the biggest difference between this and other unmanned aerial systems.”
Jose Sanchez
“And in terms of the typical helicopter, is there anything in the movement? How is it different from a typical helicopter?”
Lt. Colonel Kent Guffy
“On this one, this aircraft has an optimum speed rotor so the transmission is actually two speed and it shift gears so you can vary the RPM that the aircraft runs at and that increases its efficiency and allows it to stay airborne longer than a typical manned helicopter.”
Jose Sanchez
“How fast is it?”
Lt. Colonel Kent Guffy
“The maximum demonstrated speed is a hundred and forty-two knots.”
At that speed, one member of the team keeps a visual contact on the UAV. Inside two vans, three other testers control the UAV with commands entered on a laptop and with joysticks. On takeoff, it is noticeably quieter than British Helicopter that lands in the field. The U.S. Army’s Lieutenant Colonel Kent Duffy explained why they chose this environment to conduct tests.
Lt. Colonel Kent Guffy
“The payload were testing on the aircraft is the Forester Radar system. It’s a radar that can see through foliage, see manmade objects under foliage.”
Jose Sanchez
“Why did you choose Belize for your first testing outside of the U.S.?”
Lt. Colonel Kent Guffy
“In the United States we don’t have foliage like this, so we wanted to find a place to test it in a multiple canopy type environment. When we were looking for countries the Belizean government invited us here and we came out, we surveyed and we found out that indeed this does have the right kind of canopy we’re looking for. It also has the airspace is pretty wide open here; not a lot of air traffic which makes it suitable and it allows us to cut down risk and be more safe when we’re conducting the tests.
The Belize Defense Force role in the joint operation is to provide security, but Lieutenant Colonel Steven Ortega says it is also a learning experience for his battalion.
Lt. Colonel Steven Ortega, Commanding Officer, Second Battalion, BDF
steven ortega
“The B.D.F., what we’re doing is providing security for the site and for the guys out in the jungle which the radar is supposed to detect. We’re also out in the jungle with them to show them our jungle skills and try and teach them how to move around in the jungle. As most American military they haven’t done jungle training in a while so they don’t really know the jungle so we’re there to help them in that aspect as well.”
Jose Sanchez
“In regards to the helicopter they have out here, are you gaining any experiencing with technology or training with them in this regard?”
Lt. Colonel Steven Ortega
“Well it’s a valuable training tool, even for us. We get a lot of training time moving around in the jungle, doing even site security. Although it’s operational we use it to gain valuable training experience as well.”
Other Unmanned Aerial Vehicles such as the Predator and the Reaper have been used in Pakistan and Afghanistan to launch attacks on targets from high altitudes. Those planes are suited to the open terrain of the Middle East. But to combat drug trafficking in the Americas, a different type of UAV would be needed. One that is less noisy, capable of penetrating several canopy layers in forest or jungles and also moving with ease in dense areas; all qualities of the helicopter.
Lt. Colonel Steven Ortega
“You know the length and breadth of our borders. You know the size of our army. Something like this will definitely aid in surveillance. I mean, how man xateros come across the border? We have people moving at different points along the border. This will definitely guide in surveillance. You can direct the troops exactly where to go instead of us patrolling.”
In October of 2009, the U.S. Ambassador reiterated why investment must be done in Belize to combat narco-trafficking in the Americas.
Vinai Thummalapally, U S Ambassador to Belize (October 27th, 2009)
“We believe the importance of Belize has already been heightened because of this what they call a balloon effect and there’s pressure on Mexico that some of the channels if you will, paths could be oozing out and Belize is right there bordering with Mexico and Guatemala. So I think it’s strategic importance is the location, not the size of the country. Three hundred thousand people, one might say oh it’s a small country. That has nothing to do with the risks. The risks are huge and they are being noted and the efforts will only increase not decrease.”
Jose Sanchez
“At this point are you impressed Do like what you see?”
Lt. Colonel Kent Guffy
“Yes I do, I love it. I never get tired of watching it take off.”
And with the recent signing of the Central American Regional Security Initiative, it is not farfetched that other prototypes of this helicopter will be hovering in the sky. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
Since the americans are using the space in belize for testing of their military helicopter, some proper trainging of the said military helicopter should be given as an option to some of the Belizeans in-return, when mexico really gets out of hand with their drug problem belize is ready.
It’s official………….. BELIZE IS THE 57TH STATE of The United States Of America.
belizeans look out i hope this thing no fall down pa unu house this pm thinks belizeans are so stupid why would he request for the us to bring this thing to belize to be tested ill tell you because he has his nose so far up obamas … he cant breath ,why dont they test this in the us ill tell you because its very dangerous this thing has fallen numerous times and so they will not let them test it in the us but your pm willing fu give up your life fu the us so that this pm can get credit how sad this pm cares nothing about the lives of us belizeans so when you hear this thing overhead unu better come out a unu house till it passes.
Rod………Is there anything you don’t blame the PM for? By the way did you go to any school other than Independence Hall? You sound so Ignorant…….for real!!
Its better that you shut your mouth and be considered an idiot, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Makes me wonder up whose a… your head is !!
y dem like mek Belizean look like its the first time no mek no ghost fool unu America has far better equipment than dis big AXX chopper they di use Belize as a disgusise, o some ting more to it Come on dont u guys watch nbc and bbc and dicovery all the technologies out there fu mek they come da Little Belize like big tings di happen makes me laugh and wonder bout my Belizean (ITS MORE THAN JUST A CHOPPER THEY TESTING) America Huh the Babylon city
yes louisville ky i did go to school what about you its people like you who are so ignorant and stupid that has belize in the state its in because you sit there in the us and try to dictate policies about this pm and belize like you actually lived here yea i dont blame him for your ignorance and stupidity while you in the states now please get an education you need it you ignaramus. i guess you got your head up his ……… shows how really stupid you are.
and by the way louisville ky under this gov. economy in the drain, tourism in the drain, exports in the the drain ,imports in the drain , crime way wayyyyyyyyy out of control , corruption rampant , this is your pm louisville ky you voted for him aaaaaa no wonder all these conditions exist because of ignoramosies like you who vote while sitting in the us if you really want a voice in belize come back and live see how you like it tail of the snake.
consider Belize becoming apart of america isn”t that a good thing for us maybe we can get some of those money they always throughting around, and oiur country will be rich and we can get the much needed development in our infrastructure i”ll say coudos to the Prime Minister
All ways have money for Military and Scientific Experiments, but never have money for
the poor people. Then turn around and talk bout poor people, when the reasons
their living in poverty, is because of Murders and thieves in Governments that keep
stealing the people resources so they can live in luxuries. (It a pity these Polices, Securities,
Military, and all their bodyguards can’t see the whole scheme). These out of control Maniacs
will keep on doing what their doing, on till people from all walk of life put a stop to it. Stop
working for them, and stop doing their dirty biding for them, and stop the lame excuse I am only trying to feed my family, because every man will pay for his wrongs, weather you are conscious of it or not. YHWH El Olam
Blame the GOB all you want they hold the cards and they are playing them the way they want to, get use to it.
The Americans are testing the helicopters to help fight terrorism, but they are not telling the GOB that, it will not only be used for busting the bad guys, it will be used also for spying into your private lives.
This kind of testing is nothing new, so get use to it.
and another thing louville ky you are just like this pm both of you are monocellular .
57?? Thought there were 51 states…well guess with Afghanitan, Iraq, El Salvador and others teaming up…we will be 57…
Rod, you seem very narrow-minded with that statement. The helicopter is being tested in the Pine Ridge. I challenge you to see things in an open mind.
THEY USED TO DO THIS KIND OF THING IN PUERTO RICO…. until they got kicked out!!!
Hehehehehe….Come on guys no reason to be insulting each other, caz at the end of the day, the only ppl who knows what’s really going on with this chopper is the ppl who have to deal with it directly, the Bze Govt. & US Govt. It wouldn’t be rite for us to be making assumptions when the truth about whats going on this chopper will never be told to the media. They are only giving the media a slight scratch of the surface about whats up with this helicopter. They will NEVER tell us the truth behind it, so no reason to get worked up over something like this caz it makes no sense. It happens everywhere…ever heard of AREA 51??????
57 states? the americans are shaking their heads in disbelief at some of our ignorance, maybe we should blame the freaking GOB for this one too, or we should invest in more vacations.
more like 50 states though, and 1 district , which is not considered a state.
proud you ever seen how many houses are in the pine ridge you need fi get out more
Good move!
Yeh we all know that America is not heaven but it is a country of laws and for the most part there is a legal system in place that would procecute bad guys: can we say the same about our little jewel? We are all about politics! Conclusion: If I have to gamble I will do so with the American military rather than the narco trafficers.
They brought these //// to Belize so the Belizean Citizens can forget about the real problems that are facing the Jewel.
proud you are right, nice to have you around.
even though the testing is being done in pine-ridge and people do live in certain areas there, the testing is not done in the residential area’s.