Predator B-UAB

Unmanned reconnaissance drone that veers off course and crashes 12 miles inland from Kaliningrad while capturing images of alleged illegal nuclear transfers. Its wreckage holds sensitive intelligence on Russian activities. Leo bursts into the Oval Office at night to alert Bartlet, shifting the room from poker and egg tricks to crisis mode as staff—C.J., Charlie, Debbie—grapple with recovery options.

2 appearances

Purpose

Photographing alleged illegal nuclear transfers for intelligence gathering

Significance

Triggers diplomatic crisis; Bartlet must contact Chigorin to retrieve wreckage covertly without admitting U.S. espionage, collapsing casual evening into high-stakes foreign policy dilemma

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S4E20 · Evidence of Things Not Seen

Balancing Act: Poker, Eggs, and a Downed Drone

The Predator B-UAB is the crisis catalyst: Leo reports it veered off course and crashed twelve miles into Kaliningrad, carrying photographic intelligence. Its loss creates the immediate diplomatic and operational problem the President must confront.

Before: Operational in flight, remotely controlled by satellite surveillance systems over contested airspace.

After: Crashed inland in Kaliningrad and effectively lost to U.S. control pending retrieval or Russian possession.

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S4E20 · Evidence of Things Not Seen

Predator Down: A Diplomatic Trap in Kaliningrad

The Predator B-UAB is the causal device of the crisis: a remotely piloted reconnaissance aircraft that veered off course and crashed twelve miles inland in Kaliningrad, its wreckage turning a late-night joke into an international emergency and the immediate subject of White House recovery planning.

Before: Operational and airborne under satellite control, collecting imagery over the region.

After: Crashed inland in Kaliningrad; wreckage in foreign territory and subject to Russian control and potential exploitation.

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