Isles MP, Angus MacNeil, is writing to the Ministry of Defence after a military target drone was found on a beach in North Uist.
Benbecula Coastguard
MP raises concerns about floating drone hazard
24 October 2015
The four metre long Mirach device with a third of a tonne maximum takeoff weight was washed ashore on Baleshare beach after a military exercise at the nearby South Uist rocket range this week.
Mr MacNeil said: “While we welcome the military exercise, it is concerning that military litter is left around afterwards.
“I would imagine that the MoD would have more control and knowledge over their equipment than this, and I wouldn’t like to think of a lobster boat colliding with a drone given its weight and size."
He added: “I want the MoD to be open and transparent and to tell us if there is any more military equipment in our waters that we should be looking out for.
The MP said people encountering suspected military equipment should not touch it and call 999.
A spokesman for the range operator, QinetiQ, said: “The Mirach aerial target is used within the Hebrides Range to support trials' activities.
"They are usually destroyed or are recovered from the sea, but on a small number of occasions the fuselage of the used target washes up on the shore.”
Aerial targets like the drone are designed to be recovered from the sea within the safety of the range area.
On occasion, as happened this week, the weather deteriorates and it is not possible to launch the recovery helicopter. In this scenario, the coastguard is informed, the target predicted position is calculated and attempts are made to recover the target when the weather is safe enough for the helicopter to fly.
The Mirach drone was used in weapon tests