[Hulka]

Yeah. . .while operating the UAV from his on-base operator station in Creech AB, Nevada.

[KTM rider]

Ah Ok I always thought these needed operators within a certain proximity to establish a satellite link , my bad, so there goes the conspiracy theory of deliberate downing , too many eyes and ears at a US airbase, not plausable

[KTM rider]

Currently, the U.S. Air Force uses a concept called "Remote-Split Operations" where the satellite datalink is located in a different location and is connected to the GCS through fiber optic cabling. This allows Predators to be launched and recovered by a small "Launch and Recovery Element" and then handed off to a "Mission Control Element" for the rest of the flight. This allows a smaller number of troops to be deployed to a forward location, and consolidates control of the different flights in one location.

evidently yhe system needs a forward operating team in line of sight proximity on the ground because of the sattelite delay between controller joystick and vehicle, it can be launched 400 miles away and handed off , so capture of the forward operating base is a possibility, NO ?