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General Atomics Pitches Unarmed Predator to Africa, Middle East
By JOHN REED, FARNBOROUGH, UK – General Atomics has begun talking with a variety of countries in North Africa and the Middle East about the sale of an export version of the original Predator drone, a company officials said here.
Contract maintainers walk an RQ-1 Predator toward its shelter at Balad Air Base, Iraq, in 2006. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jason Ridder)
The new aircraft, dubbed Predator XP, is nearly same as the original ISR-only RQ-1 Predator that carried no weapons, according to Jim Thompson, manager of international strategic development for General Atomics.
“We’re now able to entertain discussions with countries in the past that we weren’t able to” now that it has State Department clearance to sell a version of the aircraft that is modified so that it cannot carry weapons, said Thompson. “It doesn’t mean we’ll get a license [to sell the planes] or even a sale or a contract.”
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:30 am
Just because the State Dept cleared the way to sell them doesn’t make it right. Exporting technology such as the RQ-1 is bad business regardless of slimmed down it is. They are basically selling the IGNAT to them which is a older version that the Army uses. So what is next for General Atomics? They going to selling the GCS and the GDT’s to them. How about you throw in a USC60A also, hell go all the way and throw some Kiv19s in their as well, you stupid idiots. This is a bad deal all the way around. Of all the places North Africa and the Middle East where everyone hates the U.S. So they selling them to Libya how about President Imadinnerjacket over in Iran. I am just disgusted withthis proposal if you haven’t figured it out yet.
T.S.
July 24th, 2010 at 5:28 am
… so what is going to stop that same dictatorship from adding hard-points for weapons and using them against the Americans once the wind starts blowing in the other direction? Who signed on this stupid idea? On second thought, check who is putting money in his Swiss bank account.
July 25th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
@ Tom Saunders,
T.S would have no problem with this technology going to the 4th Reich Zionist Entity. His Zionist ideology blinds him from seeing that US support for the 4th Reich is the only reason anyone in the MENA region would have any issue with America. Of course they would get it free of charge and T.S. would not mind that either.
T.S. and all the blind lemmings (as william peirce would call them) have not read “They dare to speak out” by Rep. Congressmen Paul Findley where he proves that 90% of the espionage on US technology is from the 4th Reich and is transfered straight to China.
July 27th, 2010 at 5:02 am
We should not sell such technology to the Arab entity. A hundred years ago, there WERE no Arab states: They were created by the European powers. They are part of the Christian world, the land peacefully won to Christianity by the Holy Apostles and Prophets.
July 28th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Easy there fellas. Tom, I get the point you’re trying to make, and understand it, but what I think you failed to notice was that, according to GA, the birds they’re looking to sell (proporting capitalism, the very basis of our nation) are incapable of bearing weapons. Now I’m not a manufacturer rep, so I can’t say whether it’s because any more weight added would be unable to lift off, or how they do it, but they are confident those units cannot be weaponized. Having said that, North Africa and the Middle East are some of the top places the Predator XP could be used, to help identify opium fields, terrorist training camps, and to monitor vast borders with a small force. Not only does that ensure their national security, but by ensuring theirs, it helps ensure our national security.
July 28th, 2010 at 11:58 am
I would suggest acting with a bit more maturity here. Defense exports fuel a huge portion of the US economy whether or not we like it. Since our trade balance is so skewed currently, the heavy-hitting exports we accomplish with the EU and middle eastern nations are critical in the long-term not just for recovery. For much of these we can thank US Global Primes, who to-a-one export as much as Dept of State will allow. This is not the first drone to seek exportability and it won’t be the first to be exported. The JSF is already slated to go to a number of friendly countries, what do you propose we do, worry about them being air-jacked and stolen?
July 28th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
These are without weapons like a Piper Cub. They are just remotely piloted. It is no different than selling a propeller piloted plane except the pilot uses remote control.
July 29th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
I agree with TS, selling unmanned predators to suedo dictators or absolute monsters (monarchs)is not a good idea. They will figure out a way to arm them. Also most of them do fund religious terrorists, so this kind of tech might fall into next line of Ladens in AF/PAK region, not to mention the day China starts a production line of one of these.
Bad very bad!
July 30th, 2010 at 4:20 am
@A.O.
A.O., dude, stay on topic. By your rant, it is painfully obvious you are an anti-semite like Paul Findley, but T.S. was making the point that not all exportation of U.S. weapons technology is a good idea. If you want to rail against Israel, directly, and tout your own political worldview, indirectly, find another venue. Save this space for intelligent and focused discussion.