The U.S. is considering a request by Nigeria to provide drones in the hunt for nearly 300 missing schoolgirls, but experts are divided over how effective surveillance aircraft would be in the search, NBC News reported. While drones could use cameras and infrared sensors to help spot the girls and their captors, the machines are not necessarily suited for this situation or the Nigerian terrain. Boko Haram, the militant group that kidnapped the girls, has likely split them up in densely populated areas, where they'd be hard to distinguish from locals. On top of that, the girls may be held in the Sambisa Forest, where airborne drones would face a "huge challenge" in finding targets through thick foliage. One expert said what's needed most in recovering the girls is good human and communications intelligence.
