US opens sale of armed drones to more allies

The United States government has agreed to sell to more allies armed unmanned aircraft or drones, controversially used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in attacks in Yemen, Syria, Libya and Pakistan.

The state department, in new guidelines issued on Tuesday covering the sale of commercial and military drones including “armed systems”, said it would assess requests for purchases on a “case-by-case basis.”

Drones have become a vital weapon in US military campaigns as the Obama administration seeks to avoid committing ground combat troops to conflict areas and a repeat of the protracted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in favour of more targeted use of military force.

The United Kingdom is the only country to which the US has sold armed drones but other allies, such as Italy, have also sought them.

Among the restrictions being imposed by the US on future purchasers of American-made armed drones will be commitments that foreign governments will not use the aircraft for illegal surveillance or to attack domestic populations and that they will be used only in military operations sanctioned by the international community.

"The United States is committed to stringent standards for the sale, transfer and subsequent use of US-origin military UAS [unmanned aerial systems]," the State Department said.

The US use of drones has been roundly criticised by human rights groups over the killing of civilians caught up in targeted strikes.

In one of the most controversial drone strikes, a CIA-led attack killed the radical Islamic preacher, US-born Anwar al-Awlaki, his teenage son, Abdulrahman, also a US citizen, and seven others in Yemen in 2011.

Drone sales are being opened up to other countries as the US has come under pressure to supply unmanned aircraft for surveillance and attack purposes in conflict zones. The US military provides most of the drones used in conflict zones such as Libya, Iraq and Syria.

Potential purchasers include Turkey, Israel, Egypt and eastern European countries concerned about Russia's expansionism.

The Obama administration’s decision is a capitulation to the lobbying efforts of the powerful US defence industry to corner the growing global demand for drones from foreign governments.

The US military buys armed Predator and Reaper drones from a company called General Atomics, based in San Diego, California.

The annual value of international military drone production is estimated to increase from about $942 million (€830 million) in 2014 to $2.3 billion in 2023, according to the Connecticut market research company Forecast International.

China

State-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China is, in value terms, expected to account for the bulk of military drone production over the next decade, followed by the Virginia, US-based producer Northrop Grumman, which makes the US air force's high- altitude surveillance drone called the RG-4 Global Hawk.

Global spending on all types of drones is estimated to top $11.6 billion (€10.2 billion) in a decade’s time, according to research and analysis firm Teal.

The US has already approved the sale of unarmed drones, including recently to the United Arab Emirates, and the lifting of sales restriction is likely to lead to a flood of request for purchases.