ANDSF to Get ScanEagle UAS

ScanEagle UAV

The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will receive eight ScanEagle Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The drones will be supplied by Insitu through a $70.9 million contract. Insitu will provide the eight systems which will include 65 air vehicles, some spares, support equipment and a ground training facility in Afghanistan. The ScanEagle carries either an electro-optical or an infrared camera in a gyro-stabilized turret. The camera has full pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities and allows the operator to track both stationary and moving targets. This is in the smaller class of UAVs - only 4 feet long and 10 feet wide (wing span). It can loiter above a battlefield for as long as 24 hours.

The sale was awarded under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Insitu, Inc. is a subsidiary of Boeing Aircraft. Work is expected to be completed in June 2018. Ummm, considering the present security situation on the ground I would have to say that is a long way off. Perhaps we should have considered fielding a small UAV (like the Shadow?) for the Afghans back in . .  say . . . 2005, . . . or 2010, . . . or 2013. They would have them right now. Hopefully some smart guy at Resolute Support HQs has figured out how to train the Afghan operators and maintenance personnel prior to the systems being fielded (Don't count on it!). Read "Insitu wins $70.9M ScanEagle order", C4ISR & Networks, December 1, 2015.

Learn more about the ScanEagle UAS at the following link:
www.afghanwarnews.info/equipment/scaneagle.htm

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Counterterrorism

CT - Rhetoric vs. Reality. Anthony H. Cordesman, of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), provides us his thoughts on the difficulty of defining who is a terrorist and the conflict between defeating terrorism and observing human rights. He explores the relative ease in which a nation will declare itself against terrorism yet use non-state actors (terrorist groups) as proxies and tools to advance their national interests. He also suggests that institutions dealing with cooperation in dealing with terrorism focus largely on counterterrorism and not only dealing with the causes of terrorism. Read his paper Cooperation in Counterterrorism: Rhetoric vs. Reality, CSIS, October 20, 2015.

Hunter Killer - New Book. A retired Air Force drone pilot has penned a new book about drones. He was one of the original drone pilots and wrote the tactical manual for the predator and piloted drones from 2003 to 2012. Read more in "The Details of Drones, From a Pilot Who Flew Them", National Public Radio, November 5, 2015.

Toy UAV's Sold to Army. A Florida firm is under investigation for selling an inferior UAV - the Maveric Microdrone - to the Army at $240,000 per system. However, commercially available drones that are very similar are available on Amazon.com at a fraction of the price. Read "Drone Company Misled Military Into Buying UAVs That Were Basically Toys", War is Boring, November 6, 2015.

9th Annual Terrorism Conference. The Jamestown Foundation will host the Ninth Annual Terrorism Conference. The theme of this conference is "The War in Syria, Islamic State, and the Changing Landscape of Asymmetric Threats". Tuesday, December 8, 2015, Washington, D.C. View a comprehensive listing of security and defense conferences and exhibitions for the coming months at www.securityinfonet.com/Security_Conferences_and_Seminars.htm

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How UK Deploys Reapers to Afghanistan

This news article provides a series of photos that show how the United Kingdom deploys its Reapers (drones) to Afghanistan. Call it "drone in a box". Read the news story here in The Aviationist (Sep 19, 2014).

Video - "Do Drones Work?"

Georgetown University Security Studies Program Professors Daniel Byman, Christin Fair, and Christoper Swift discuss the United States' use of drones in prosecuting the war on terrorism. The panelists discuss issues surrounding the drone program, including its efficacy, legality, and future use. (YouTube, 80 minutes).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDRRr-_Qq7A

Norway Provides Intel for Drone Attacks

A Norway military official has confirmed that Norway provides intelligence information to its NATO partners which may be used in the conduct of drone attacks. See "Norway Provides Intelligence for Drone Attacks", The Nordic Page, December 20, 2013.

Drones in Afghanistan

In the last ten years the inventory of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles has increased significantly.  Many of these drones are deployed to the Afghanistan area of operations and are used to conduct surveillance on targets, provide situational awareness during enemy engagements or targeting, and to help defeat the IED networks.  Learn more about drones in Afghanistan at the link below.

http://www.afghanwarnews.info/equipment/drones.htm

CIA Drone Attacks in Pakistan Seen as Less Effective Than Thought

Recent reports indicate that the CIA drone attacks in Pakistan have not been as effective as some had thought.  Very few high-level targets are being taken out and pressure is mounting to restrict the level of drone attacks.  Read more in "Increased U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan killing few high-value militants", The Washington Post, February 21, 2011.

Modernization of UAVs Face Budget Constraints

"The Army is working to meet its troops’ huge demand for unmanned aircraft systems, but the expected budget cuts will force the service to prioritize what they really need, officials said." 

Read more in "Army: Tremendous demand fo UAVs in Afghanistan", Air Force Times, December 16, 2010.

UAV Attacks in Afghanistan

A recent article by Peter Bergen has been posted online that addresses the topic of armed UAVs attacking insurgent targets in Pakistan.  Read "The Drone Wars: Killing by remote control in Pakistan", The Atlantic, December 2010.