To promote armed drone exports in the United States: Two principles

The Obama administration has opened a way for manufacturers to deliver military unmanned aircraft to the US military to sell killed unmanned attack aircraft overseas.

Exports of unmanned aircraft that exceed the standard capacity and range have been regulated by the "Missile Technology Management Regime (MTCR)".MTCR is an international management system launched in 1987 for the purpose of preventing mass destruction weapons, such as nuclear weapons, after the end of the Cold War.

However, the US Department of State has stated in a statement dated February 17 that it will be able to export unmanned aircraft with condition.Unmanned aircraft that do not risk a pilot tend to "lower the threshold" using killed weapons, and often causes the declaration of misfires to be debated.

On the other hand, the opening of exports has been open to US defense -related companies, especially California, especially in California, will be a great opportunity to get great economic interests.

Northrop Gramman and Lockheed Martin have assembled unmanned aircraft in Los Angeles County.In addition, the General Alonautical Systems in San Diego County, the uninhabited attack aircraft "Predetor", which has been mainly used in the "target killing program" (Japanese version) of the "anti -terrorism war" developed overseas.(Predator) "and" Reaper "are manufacturers.

Defense -related companies, including these three companies, have long been dissatisfied with the fact that the unmanned market is being deprived by companies in a country with a loose export regulation than in the United States (the world's largest unmanned aircraft exporting country.Israel has recently exported to low -priced military unmanned aircraft).In fact, the only countries that buy armed and unmanned US -made unmanned aircraft are only in the UK.

The global market size of unmanned technology, including private use, is said to be about $ 91 billion in total for the next 10 years, even in the current expectation.

According to the State Department's statement, the availability of selling to other countries is determined by the case by case.According to the statement, "the purchase country must comply with the International Human Act (banned the attack on civilians)."Despite the international criticism that thousands of innocent people have died in the US unmanned aircraft attack in the "Terrorism War" (Japanese version).

According to a statement, the US government asks the purchaser to agree to the following two principles, including the following two points, in addition to complying with international humanitarian law.

・ Use of armed UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System: Unmanned Aircraft System) and other advanced UAS in strategies accompanied by force.Limit.

・ Equipment recipients do not use military UAS for illegal reconnaissance in their own domestic or illegal force.

The United States has already exported jet fighters, ship -based weapons, and bunker busters (underground bombs) to other countries, and in the future, unmanned attack aircraft will be added to the "product catalog".

Related article: Special specifications of the drone for the mob suppression "SKUNK"

Text by David Kravets

Photo Courtesy of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

Translation by Kenji Mizugaki/Galileo