Our scouts recently reported seeing an unidentified flying object over Yanov station. A UFO, in other words. Before you ask any stupid questions, a UFO isn't just some flying saucer with Martians in them. It could be any flying object, from a piece of cardboard to a meteorological probe, as long as eyewitnesses were unable to identify it. Got that?

Duty stalkers in Jupiter

UAV is a side quest in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.

Overview

This short side quest revolves around a crashed UAV, a RQ-4 Global Hawk, which was witnessed by numerous stalkers in the area of Yanov. No stalkers are able to inform the player of the crash site's location, although it can be located on the minimap. How it ended up in the Zone is unknown to the stalkers in the area, and even Duty and the Military are at a loss as to how it got in.

Walkthrough

To find the UAV aircraft and start the mission, the player needs to reach the northwestern part of Jupiter, just north of the Ash Heap anomaly. This can be done either from the east, by sticking close to the fence, or from the south - the way is hidden behind bushes and a Burner anomaly field. Inspecting the UAV will give the player its memory module. The module can be unblocked either by Nitro or Novikov.

When decoded, the player gets the coordinates of all three of Strelok's stashes. It does not matter in what order the player finds the stashes. The contents will always be, in order:

1. A note to Ghost and medical supplies.
2. A note to Strelok and a lot of various ammo.
3. A note to Fang, Strelok's SGI-5k, and some ammo for it.

The way this quest plays out depends largely on who the player gives the module to and when one visits the stashes it recorded.

• If it is given to Novikov, he returns the unblocked memory module after one hour and all the caches are just as described below. This costs 2000 RU.
• If the player gives the module to Nitro, it takes three hours and costs 1000 RU. Also, the mission changes slightly.
  • As soon as the player gives the module to Nitro, all stashes are emptied except for the notes and Strelok's SGI-5k.
  • If the player returns to Nitro after the work is done, he will only give the stash coordinates and Senka's body will spawn near the last stash visited by the player, carrying the unblocked memory module (described as having been unblocked by Novikov) and other items that would normally be in each of the previously visited stashes.

The unblocked Memory Module can be sold to Owl for 500 RU. Strelok's Group notes can also be sold to Owl or used near the end of the game for the A Keeper of Secrets achievement.

Trivia

• Once Nitro decodes the data module, it turns out to have nothing stored on it but soil thickness and vegetation density measurements in addition to the three stash coordinates. It is highly unlikely that a UAV, such as a Global Hawk (as the Global Hawk's only role is for surveillance and reconnaissance) would be dispatched solely for the purpose for gathering such trivial information (even if it was at the request of the Ukrainian Government) and it is infinitely more likely that the UAV initiated a data wipe of all sensitive information that it had collected after it crashed, leaving no trace of any incriminating data behind and providing plausible denial to whomever deployed the drone. The drone possesses no external identification, leaving the identity of its operator in question. However, it is highly likely that the United States or a NATO country (the most likely operator of the drone) has a vested interest in the Zone.
• Considering the data recovered is relevant to Strelok's Group and their movements, it is likely the drone was dispatched to monitor Strelok with the intent of discovering his secret to reaching the Zone's center.
• The player may search Strelok's stashes at any time without completing this mission.
  • If one of the stashes is looted and Nitro is given the data module to decode instead of Novikov, Senka's body will still have the contents of the looted stash when it is found at the last stash.

v · d · e Missions in Call of Pripyat
Zaton	Main missions Stingray 2: investigate the crash site Stingray 3: investigate the crash site Stingray 5: investigate the crash site Evacuation locations - B2 Unidentified weapon Bandits The Hit Transaction Shady Business Duty Transaction Free stalkers Safe Spot The Hit Transaction Compass Strange Phenomenon Artifact order Missing Stalkers Bloodsucker Lair In Search of Magpie Hunting the Chimera Three Comrades Area Maps Mercenary Camp Tempting Business Unreachable Stash Reputation Getting to the Plateau Mercenaries Food
The area around Jupiter	Main missions Stingray 1: investigate the crash site Stingray 4: investigate the crash site Evacuation locations - B205 Road to Pripyat Pripyat 1 Duty Duty History Duty warehouse Ecologists Intermittent psy-emissions Oasis Anomaly research Anomalous activity Hypothesis Last developments Research group Guarding the scientists Anomalous Plant Freedom Duty History Duty warehouse Kopachy Free stalkers Debts Hostage Hunting: Kill the Swamp Bloodsuckers Hunting: Unidentified Mutants Night Hunt Retribution False claims Theft A contract with the scientists UAV Radio equipment Monolith Monolith survivors
Pripyat 1 underpass	Main missions Pripyat 1
Pripyat	Main missions Evacuation locations - B28 Unidentified weapon Missing recon unit Monolith forces Missing sentry Laboratory X8 A quiet word Radio interference Unknown Evacuation Military One Shot
General	Main missions Stingray squad: find the source of the charges which hit the two helicopters Free stalkers Tools Special order