Drone Roundup August 25 – September 1
This roundup, curated by ReThink Media, looks at how the media is talking about drone warfare (and related topics) and what stories are being told.
The BBC uncovered new evidence that a UAE drone strike killed 26 unarmed cadets in Libya back in January. The LNA, under Gen Khalifa Haftar, denied that it was behind the strike and told the press that the explosion might have been caused by a locally fired mortar shell or an attack from inside the academy. But evidence indicates the cadets were hit by a Chinese Blue Arrow 7 missile. The BBC investigation also found evidence that, at the time of the strike, Wing Loong II drones were only operating from one Libyan air base – al-Khadim – and that the UAE supplied and operated the drones stationed there. They also found new evidence that Egypt is allowing the UAE to use Egyptian military air bases close to the Libyan border. In February 2020, the Wing Loong II drones stationed in Libya appear to have been moved over the border into Egypt. [BBC]
“The U.S. State Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released a report that, even in its redacted form, makes plain that the Trump administration circumvented U.S. law in multiple ways to carry out arms transfers to the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen. In doing so, the administration failed to fully and accurately assess the humanitarian impact of U.S. support, according to the report. That is a stunning revelation…” [Just Security / Diane Bernabei and Beth Van Schaack]
The US Air Force issued a $90 million contract for counter-drone systems and support. [C4ISRNET / Nathan Strout]
A Turkish drone strike near the town of Sinjar in Iraq’s northern province of Nineveh killed two people, according to the Iraqi military. [Xinhua]