Pentagon eyes drones for Kenya to fight militants nearby
Sun Jul 22, 2012 8:07am GMT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon is seeking to send hand-launched
drones to Kenya as part of a $40 million-plus military aid package
designed to help four African countries fight al Qaeda and al Shabaab
militants, notably in Somalia, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Kenya would get eight "Raven" unmanned aerial systems - an unarmed
drone that can be used to identify targets for strikes by ground
forces or other aircraft.
"This assistance will improve the tactical effectiveness and
operational reach of the Kenyan National Defense Forces engaged in CT
(counter-terrorism) operations against al Shabaab in Somalia," the
newspaper quoted a Pentagon document as saying.
The Ravens for Kenya would be part of an initial $41.4 million package
that also would include trucks, communications gear and rifles for
Burundi, Djibouti and Uganda, the newspaper said.
The United States provided Ravens to Uganda last year, it added,
citing officials and documents.
The Defense Department and the State Department had no immediate
comment. U.S. government-to-government arms transfers are presided
over by the State Department, subject to an often- lengthy
congressional review process.
The newspaper cited officials as saying the military aid package would
be meant to help key African allies in the region go after al Sabaab
and other al Qaeda supporters.
The Raven is built by Monrovia, California-headquartered AeroVironment
Inc. Weighing 4.2 pounds (1.9 kilograms) and with a wingspan of 4.5
feet (1.37 metres), it is described as capable of sending real-time
color or infrared imagery to ground controllers and to remote viewers
day or night.
Received on Mon Jul 23 2012 - 11:07:37 EDT
