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US To Boost Use Of Armed Drones In Iraq And Afghanistan
Washington (AFP) July 13, 2007 The US air force announced plans Friday to nearly double the number of combat air patrols over Iraq and Afghanistan by the end of next year using armed Predator drones. The move comes amid a troop surge in Iraq but also intensifying calls for a withdrawal of US combat forces. An air force spokesman would not say whether the accelerated delivery of Predators was prompted by the surge, or other factors. The air force currently uses armed unmanned Predators to fly a dozen round-the-clock combat air patrols over Iraq and Afghanistan a day. The air force had planned to increase the number of those patrols to 21 by December 2009, but General T. Michael Moseley has moved up the target date by a year, the air force said in a statement. "The air force is pushing to expand Predator air patrols for Admiral Fallon's use as quickly as possible," said Lieutenant General David Deptula, deputy chief of staff in charge of air force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Admiral William Fallon is the commander of US forces in the Middle East. The Predators are flown by two to four member crews who operate the aircraft from bases in the western United States. The number of crews will grow from 120 to 160 to meet the demand, the air force said. A spokesman would not say how many Predators would be required.
Source: Agence France-Presse Related Links US air force UAV News - Suppliers and Technology
Protonex Receives Additional Funding To Advance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Power Systems
Southborough, MA (SPX) Jul 13, 2007Protonex Technology has received an $800,000 extension to a previously awarded contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to optimize performance of its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) propulsion system, ProCore UAV. The advanced version of the system is expected to enable longer flight times and increased payload capability of small unmanned aircraft. |
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