UK sending drones from Afghanistan to Mideast

KABUL to the Middle East (ME) to help the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond informed lawmakers on Thursday the remotely-piloted Reaper drones would enhance Britain’s surveillance operations over Iraq.

The Guardian quoted Hammond as Hammond as telling the Commons: “We are in the process of redeploying some of our Reaper aircraft from Afghanistan to the Middle East…”

Defence secretary Michael Fallon told the house the drones enhance Britain’s strike capability, according to the newspaper. “As the UK’s only armed remotely piloted aircraft, Reaper will add to the strike capability we are already providing.”

Hammond said the unmanned aircraft — armed with Hellfire missiles — would be sent to a base in the Middle East from Afghanistan. The drones are controlled remotely from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire and a USAF base in Nevada.

PAN Monitor/mud