The CIA has declassified documents about a reconnaissance drone project in the 1960s, Inceptive Mind reported Monday.
The Aquiline project sought to develop reconnaissance drones based on birds’ flight characteristics. The drone has a wingspan of 10 feet for use in carrying infrared cameras, radio equipment, radar and other payloads.
The agency envisioned Aquiline as a long-range vehicle that could navigate stealthily into denied locations to gather technical intelligence and support other agency missions, according to the CIA’s news release.
The project did not advance to the operational phase, but the agency said the concept for Aquiline “proved invaluable as a forerunner” to multicapability unmanned aerial vehicles in use today.
