Drones

France and Italy contributed unarmed UAVs to NATO’s Libya operation

By Aviation International News

From Aviation International News:  [French air force commander General Jean-Paul] Palomeros told the Dubai Air Chiefs Conference last November that “at least 30” medium-altitude long endurance (MALE) UAVs should have been deployed to support the NATO air action over Libya last year.

NATO clears funding hurdle to buy five Global Hawks

By Stephen Trimble, Flight Global

US should give NATO the Global Hawks it plans to mothball

By Jorge Benitez, Atlantic Council

The Department of Defense announced today that it is terminating its purchase of the Block 30 variant of Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk. The Block 30 Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and “multi-intelligence platform” designed to simultaneously carry imagery and signals intelligence.

NATO to sign delayed UAV deal before Chicago Summit

By Flightglobal

From Flightglobal:  NATO’s long-running process to order an Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) capability could at last achieve a contract signature within the next few months, although the scale of its programme appears to have again been revised.

France Offers Heron for NATO UAV program

By Pierre Tran, Defense News

From Pierre Tran, Defense News:  France is offering the Heron TP as its contribution in kind to the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance program, but technical and financial problems related to adapting the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV to French standards are holding up a deal with Dassault and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)

Europe’s first experimental stealth combat drone is rolled out

By David Cenciotti, the Aviationist

From David Cenciotti, the Aviationist:  On Jan. 20, the nEUROn, the technology demonstrator for a European UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle), was officially presented by Charles Edelstenne, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation

Pakistan blockage of NATO convoys ‘may last weeks’

By the BBC

From the BBC:  Pakistan may continue its blocking of Nato convoys into Afghanistan for several weeks, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has told the BBC.

Pakistan stops NATO supplies after raid kills up to 28

By Shams Momand, Reuters

From Shams Momand, Reuters:  NATO helicopters and fighter jets attacked two military outposts in northwest Pakistan on Saturday, killing as many as 28 troops and plunging U.S.-Pakistan relations deeper into crisis.

Fleet of U.S. drones now based in Turkey

By Greg Jaffe, Checkpoint Washington

From Greg Jaffe, Checkpoint Washington:  The U.S. military has begun flying unarmed Predator drones out of a Turkish air base as part of a joint Turkish-American counterterrorism operation in northern Iraq, according to a senior defense official.