French Air Force trains eagles to catch drones

[red750]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nFStbS4Jxw

[old man emu]

What a falcon good idea!

 

 

[winsor68]

I reckon there is a good business opportunity here... imagine if every civilian airport had a couple of well trained eagles on staff.  I eagle ly await further developments.

 

 

[GraemeK]

A great idea, I'm talon ya!

 

 

[old man emu]

There's a hospital in London that has a falconer on the books who sets his bird onto the pigeons when a medivac helicopter id due in with a patient.

 

 

[pmccarthy]

That falconer would be raptor at least happy.

 

 

[Jim McDowall]

But some ideas have drawbacks not imagined:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5817679/Eagle-trained-bring-terrorist-drones-attacks-girl-five.html

 

 

[winsor68]

But some ideas have drawbacks not imagined:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5817679/Eagle-trained-bring-terrorist-drones-attacks-girl-five.html

I call baloney.   Eagles aren't stupid.  I couldn't imagine one would mistake a 5 year old kid for a drone.

 

 

[BirdDog]

As someone in the drone industry, this is just crap!  The eagle is likely to come off 2nd best, especially with carbon blades attached.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

This has to be some sort of hoax, a carbon fibre blade will cut through claws like a hot knife through butter

 

 

[planedriver]

A sure way of getting their claws clipped!

 

 

[danny_galaga]

As someone in the drone industry, this is just crap!  The eagle is likely to come off 2nd best, especially with carbon blades attached.

 

 

 

 

[BirdDog]

Yeah - Did you notice plastic props and the machine was stopped before the bird sat on it.

 

Now imagine a machine with Carbon and it does not stop.  1 damaged eagle - Guaranteed! 

 

 

[danny_galaga]

None the less they are training eagles to capture or attack drones. You could easily have thick leather leggings on them or just accept the eagle may be hurt. If it saves lives...

 

 

[RossK]

Wedgetailed Eagle - Natural enemy of the UAV

 

Wedge-tailed eagles winning war of the skies against drones

 

Wedge-tailed eagles and drones competing for airspace in the workplace