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In November, Stars and Stripes featured two video stories showing U.S. Navy Riverine Command Boat sailors conducting a live-fire weapons exercise in the Persian Gulf. Because visibility is poor so close to the waterline, some viewers wondered how the crew can be certain the area is clear of other boats before firing. The answer is the Puma, a 13-pound unmanned aircraft designed for both land and maritime operations. It's small enough to simply throw up into the air, has a range of about nine miles, and is equipped with optical and infrared cameras.

simoes.hendrick@stripes.com Twitter: @hendricksimoes

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