The devices are roughly the size of an automobile battery, but are heavy enough that outfitted Predators in some cases carry only one Hellfire missile instead of two. At times, the systems also have been in short supply, requiring that crews move the devices from one Predator to another as they land and take off.
The unique capabilities have prompted competition among U.S. forces for access to specially equipped Predators, military officials said. The fleet being assembled for use in Pakistan has been assigned to the CIA and U.S. Special Operations Command, meaning fewer of the aircraft are available for conventional forces.
Military officials noted that Predators' effectiveness declines as the winter months approach. Bad weather, especially in the high altitudes, of the Afghan and Pakistani mountains, means that many days Predators and other drones cannot fly.
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greg.miller@latimes.com
julian.barnes@latimes.com
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Times staff writer Laura King in Istanbul, Turkey, and special correspondent Zulfiqar Ali in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
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Evolving usage
The Predator, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. of San Diego, is an unmanned drone aircraft.
The drones were originally designed for surveillance but have increasingly been armed with missiles since the Sept. 11 attacks.
The slender craft is 27 feet long with a 49-foot wingspan. It can hover above a target for many hours and can fly as low as 15,000 feet for reconnaissance missions. It is often operated by CIA or Pentagon officials at computer consoles in the United States.
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Source: Times reporting
