US establishes policy for exports of armed drones

The U.S. government on Feb. 17 established a policy for exports of military and commercial drones, including armed ones, and said it plans to work with other countries to shape global standards for the use of the controversial weapons systems.

The State Department said it would allow exports of lethal U.S. military drones under strict conditions, including that sales must be made through government programs and that recipient nations must agree to certain "end-use assurances."

The policy, the details of which are classified, comes after a two-year review amid growing demand from U.S. allies for the new breed of weapons that have played a key role in U.S. military action in Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen.

It could help U.S. companies boost sales of military and commercial drones in an increasingly competitive global market.

Privately held General Atomics, maker of the Predator and Reaper drones, Northrop Grumman Corp, Textron Inc and other arms makers have been urging Washington for years to loosen strict export curbs, which they say have caused them to lose orders to Israel and others in the growing market.
Ideally, the policy would help industry better understand the current complex review process for drone exports, said Remy Nathan, vice president of the Aerospace Industries Association. He said AIA had asked for a classified briefing on the policy.

The shift came just days after U.S. aviation regulators proposed rules on Sunday that would lift some restrictions on drone use for commercial purposes, but would still limit activities such as inspections of pipelines.

The change also follows stern warnings by top U.S. officials about rapid advances in weapons technology by China, Russia and other potential...