Asides

Countries Seek More UAVs for Afghanistan

The Financial Times reports that “countries operating in Afghanistan are…acquiring more” unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to experts, who explain that “Afghanistan is…a perfect environment for unmanned aircraft” because “[i]ts airspace is uncluttered and the Taliban does not have weaponry capable of shooting [the UAVs] down.” The move by coalition countries follows a move in which the British military fast-tracked procurement of “the Herti system, developed by BAE Systems and delivered to Afghanistan last year on trial.” The British military also asked for 10 Reaper MQ-9s, which are “equipped to carry precision guided bombs and missiles.” The Times notes that, in Afghanistan, “[a] shortage of battlefield drones has meant different forces have had to share air time.” Compounding the situation is “the fact that some drones, including the Predator, which is extensively used by U.S. forces, are susceptible to bad weather and high winds.”

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