After two failed tries, the first unmanned aircraft system to patrol the northern U.S. border successfully completed its flight from Arizona to North Dakota.
U.S Customs and Border Protection officials said the Predator B drone touched down at 2:28 p.m. Saturday at the Grand Forks Air Force Base, after a six-hour flight from Libby Army Airfield in Sierra Vista.
"It was a great flight," said Michael Corcoran, deputy director for air operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine office in Grand Forks.
Earlier landings Thursday and Friday were postponed due to maintenance problems and the weather.
The Predator weighs 5 tons, has a 66-foot wingspan and can fly undetected at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.
The drone has been in use along the southern border with Mexico since 2005. It is scheduled to begin patrolling the northern border in January.
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"It is vital to America's security that we protect our borders, particularly the northern border," said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D. "The Grand Forks Air Branch plays an essential role in helping shut the door on terrorists who want to sneak across remote border points to strike on U.S. soil."
