EADS’s Barracuda high-speed unmanned reconnaissance air vehicle crashed into the sea during a test flight off the coast of Spain on 23 September.

The aircraft “ditched into the sea...upon approach for landing at San Javier AFB, Murcia, Spain”, says EADS. “The test was part of current flight trials. The reasons for the accident are unknown,” it adds.

The Barracuda made its debut flight at San Javier this year after being unveiled at the Berlin air show in May. The company-funded demonstrator was due to support trials of UAVs in a networked battlefield environment for the German defence ministry from mid-2007.

Source: Flight International