Once they are armed, French air force Reaper unmanned aircraft will retain human operators in the decision-making loop, and that the same rules of engagement will apply as for combat aircraft and combat helicopters. (French AF image)
Posted on 09/07/2017 4:25:23 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
TOULON, France --- France has decided to arm its surveillance drones in West Africa as part of counter-terrorism operations against Islamist militants, Defense Minister Florence Parly said on Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron has made fighting Islamist militants his primary foreign policy objective and the move to armed drones fits into a more aggressive policy at a time when it looks increasingly unlikely Paris will be able to withdraw from the region in the medium to long-term.
France has six Reapers
France currently has five unarmed Reaper reconnaissance drones positioned in Niger's capital Niamey to support its 4,000-strong Barkhane counter-terrorism operation in Africa, and one in France.
“Beyond our borders, the enemy is more furtive, more mobile, disappears into the vast Sahel desert and dissimulates himself amidst the civilian population,” Parly said in a speech to the military.
“Facing this, we cannot remain static. Our methods and equipment must adapt. It is with this in mind that I have decided to launch the process to arm our intelligence and surveillance drones.”
A further six of 12 Reaper drones, built by U.S. firm General Atomics and ordered after France's 2013 intervention in Mali to eventually replace its EADS-made Harfang drones, are due to be delivered by 2019.
The defence ministry said on Tuesday the new drones would be delivered with Hellfire missiles while the existing six would be armed by 2020, possibly with European munitions.
Civilian casualties a concern
Previous French administrations have shied away from purchasing armed drones, fearing a possible increase in civilian casualties.
Al-Qaida's north African wing AQIM and related Islamist groups were largely confined to the Sahara Desert until they hijacked a rebellion by ethnic Tuareg separatists in Mali in 2012, and then swept south.
(Excerpt) Read more at defense-aerospace.com ...
Once they are armed, French air force Reaper unmanned aircraft will retain human operators in the decision-making loop, and that the same rules of engagement will apply as for combat aircraft and combat helicopters. (French AF image)
The number of rules of engagement should only be one.
Kill the enemy when ever possible and as many as possible.
He can kill terrorists in Africa but not at home.
Shouda NEVER GIVEN UP Algeria, boys and girls of France.
Just look at what that’s given us.
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