News Summary, December 11th, 2019

Below is a short overview of news and updates from our network. If you have events, publications, or updates to share, you may forward them to info {at} efadrones.org.

 

– Last week, Members of the European Parliament were briefed on the issues of armed drones by Delina Goxho (OSF/PAX), Tania Latici (EPRS), and Foeke Postma (PAX), where they discussed their reports on Armed Drones in Europe, Civil & Military Drones, and Military Drones and the EU.

– Drone Wars UK has new articles on drone strikes that have lead to civilian deaths across four war zones, on the Global Hawk being positioned at Sigonella airbase and the use of automatic target recognition software, and Israel’s development and use of armed drones, among other issues.

– OpenDemocracy took a closer look at the rebranding of the Reaper to “Protector“, in the UK.

– The Guardian featured an article on drone swarms becoming the “future of aerial warfare”, as well as a picture essay on Afghan families torn apart by drone strikes.

– The use of the R9X missile containing an inert warhead was much discussed last week.

– Reprieve’s Jennifer Gibson was at the ICC to make the voices of Pakistani drone strike victims heard in the debate on war crimes in Afghanistan. Last month she also warned of drone executions becoming the norm, in an op-ed in the LA Times.

– General Atomics is hoping to jump the bandwagon by promoting its drones for maritime surveillance among EU member states. Together with the Greek air force, it is putting on a demonstration of its MQ-9 “Guardian” for an “audience of EU country representatives”.

– The development of the Turkish drone industry was highlighted again. It’s role in ‘disrupting NATO’ was discussed on the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. and the role of UK technology in facilitating those developments in the Guardian.

– The role of facial recognition software for Turkish kamikaze drones was also discussed in a new report by PAX, titled “Slippery Slope“.

– The Guardian investigated the role of drones in the conflict in Libya. Drone strikes targeting ISIS in Libya were also featured in the New York Times. An Italian Predator was shot down in Libya last month. And finally, a US drone was shot down by Russian air defenses in Libya as well. The US is demanding the return of the wreckage but those responsible for downing the drone say they do not know where it is.

– Our latest press review is now online.