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MoD buys pounds 30m US drones to fight Taliban(The Daily Telegraph, Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) DEFENCE chiefs are to buy advanced unmanned drones from America to fight the insurgents in Afghanistan because British aircraft "are not up to the task'', military sources disclosed yesterday. At least two Predator B unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be bought off the shelf, with back-up systems, for an estimated pounds 30 million and rushed into service in the coming months. British forces in the southern province of Helmand, unlike their American colleagues, have been fighting without the capabilities that the drones bring to the battlefield. They do have drones, but only the Royal Artillery's Desert Hawk, a vehicle about the size of a model aircraft that has limited endurance and performs poorly in the hot and high conditions of Afghanistan. By contrast, the Predator, built by General Atomics, can stay in the air for more than 30 hours. It uses its highly sophisticated cameras to spy unseen on enemy movement, day or night, from 50,000ft. The aircraft is also able to destroy the enemy with its four Hellfire missiles. It is that capability that will give British troops a deadly edge against the Taliban. The problems of finding and monitoring the Taliban have forced the Ministry of Defence to admit that it has a gap in its surveillance and strike ability. A defence official said: "There is a capability requirement for hot and high UAVs; that is why we have identified this particular piece of kit to suit us.'' The ministry is buying off the shelf because British-developed aircraft with the same capabilities will not be available for around four years. The Armed Forces' request for Predators was rejected at first because the ministry did not have enough resources. But since fighting has intensified, involving the loss of 14 British troops since July, cash has been diverted from other projects. "This will provide a long-term solution to our reconnaissance needs,'' an RAF source said. "We will need it in Afghanistan because that is going to be a commitment for eight to 10 years. It is not only good for this theatre but wherever we deploy.'' The aircraft, which is coated in bullet-proof Kevlar, has become a highly valued weapon in the war against terrorism, giving commanders the ability to spy and launch attacks on an unsuspecting enemy. It is about the size of a light aircraft, has cameras that are powerful enough to determine whether a man on the ground is armed and has been used in several lethal strikes against terrorist commanders. British officers have become frustrated that, while the Americans have at least half a dozen Predators at Kandahar air base, they are not receiving dedicated UAV support to cope with the intensified fighting. The RAF already has up to 50 personnel working alongside American colleagues on the outskirts of Las Vegas operating unmanned drones that fly over Iraq and Afghanistan and they are expected to form the core of Britain's new drone unit. It has also been reported that Nato officials have asked the Czech air force to provide Russian-made Mi-17 Hip helicopters to help the 4,000 British troops in Helmand who are being seriously hampered by a lack of transport helicopters, such as Chinooks. [email protected] Copyright 2006 The Daily Telegraph. Source: Financial Times Information Limited - Europe Intelligence Wire. |