Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/23/reaper_cra
sh_afghanistan/  UK Reaper drone wrecked in Afghanistan  New
ones cost £10m: MoD hopes to spend £17m  By Lewis Page  Posted
in Government, 23rd April 2008 10:57 GMT  A Reaper unmanned
combat aircraft has crashed in Afghanistan. According to
reports, restricted technology aboard the wrecked roboplane was
salvaged by British special forces and the remains were then
destroyed by a bomb from a manned jet.  The Sun reported
yesterday that "a £50m British spy plane" had been "blown to
bits" after crashlanding while flying in support of a special
forces mission. The Currant Bun's sources said the Reaper had
suffered an "engine flame out", and that "top secret gear,
including a high-intensity camera and computer memory chips" had
been recovered by a helicopter-borne team of SBS* men before an
RAF Harrier was called in to destroy the five-tonne wreck.  The
MoD confirmed today that a Reaper had been lost, issuing this
statement:  We can confirm that on 9 A