US target drone found off Masbate

A US-made aerial target drone was found Sunday evening off the coast of Masbate, a police official said Monday.

Senior Inspector Kim Espineli, chief of police of San Jacinto confirmed in a radio report that they received information of a crashed unmanned aircraft used by the United States military found in Sitio Tacdugan, Barangay Bagahanglad, in San Jacinto town.

Espineli, however, said that it was later identified by authorities as an aerial target drone and not a spy plane. The drone is a model BQM-74E Chuckar III with a length of 12 feet, 11 inches, a wingspan of 5 feet 9 inches and a height of 2 feet 4 inches.

According to Senior Superintendent Heriberto Olitoquit, chief of Masbate police, the drone was discovered by fishermen Jolly Llacer and Ricky Cantoria drifting in the waters off Masbate which they later turned over to the authorities for fear that it was a bomb.

Police authorities are still investigating the said craft which officials of the Philippine Army’s 49th Infantry Division believes has just surfaced in the area.

Army Colonel Jun Pacatan said the craft was probably used in World War II and was just drifted to Masbate.

Olitoquit, however, said there was no information yet as to who owned the drone and why it fell into the waters off Masbate.

The item will be turned over to the Philippine Navy.

Aerial target drones are unmanned, remote controlled aerial vehicles, usually used in the training of anti-aircraft personnel. (Sunnex with wire reports)