An MQ-9 Reaper drone taxis into Creech Air Force Base. [Credit: U.S Air Force/Senior Airman Larry E. Reid Jr.]
Key Takeaways:
The U.S. military reportedly used an aircraft disguised as a civilian plane (military gray, no markings, no visible weapons) to strike a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean, killing 11 people.
This action, which occurred in September during an anti-drug trafficking campaign, raised concerns among legal experts about potential perfidy, a violation of international law.
While the U.S. Defense Department affirmed compliance with domestic and international laws, the U.S. military has since switched to using clearly marked aircraft for similar operations in the Caribbean.
The U.S. military used an aircraft disguised as a civilian airplane to strike a suspected drug boat operating in the Caribbean, The New York Times reported Monday.
Unnamed officials confirmed to the newspaper that the aircraft did not have weapons visible from the outside. It was painted in the usual military gray, they said, but did not have military markings.
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Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
