 |
| MQ-9 Reaper UCAV |
By Prashanth Parameswaran
Canberra is moving closer to acquiring drones from its ally.
Australian air force personnel have begun training on armed drones in the United States days after Washington announced the easing of restrictions surrounding their export and sale, media reports indicated Monday.
According to Reuters, Australia has sent personnel to train on the General Atomics MQ-9 “Reaper” drone, a sign that it is considering a purchase further down the line even though Australian defense officials say a decision has yet to be taken.
“Unmanned aerial systems are an advancing technology with a proven record of providing ‘eyes in the sky’ in the Middle East region,” Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defense Darren Chester said in a statement. “It would be remiss of Australia not to continue to develop our knowledge of this technology to ensure we are able to gain the greatest benefit from unmanned aerial systems and the best protection for our troops on future operations.”
Last week, the Obama administration established a policy for the export of commercial and military drones following a lengthy review, opening up the possibility of Washington equipping allies like Australia under strict conditions.
Read the full story at The Diplomat