Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

General Atomics to Sell Predator Drone Abroad

San Diego-based defense firm General Atomics has unveiled the unarmed version of its Predator unarmed aerial vehicle, or drone, and expects it to be available for sale on the international market within months, Reuters is reporting.

So far, of over 500 drones sold by the company, all have gone to U.S. government agencies and friendly countries including Britan, Israel, and Turkey. But the company reportedly has eyes on broader markets in Latin America and Asia.

“There has been very considerable international interest,” General Atomics Aeronautical director of international strategy development Christopher Ames told Reuters, admitting that permission to sell drones laden with lethal weapons to “anyone other than the closest U.S allies” remained unlikely.

“There have been countries that for a long time have been asking for Predator . . . [the unarmed export variant] opens up those markets to us.”

Ames declined to disclose specifically which countries were interested in General Atomics’ technology, but diplomatic communications revealed by Wikileaks have identified Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (which has also been fingered as a buyer of the unarmed version of the Predator) as having been previously rebuffed by the federal government in their attempts to purchase armed versions of the aircraft.

Industry officials, meanwhile, continue to push for reduced limitations on their ability to sell war technology to foreign governments.

“I do think the regime could do with re-examination,” says Ames of American policy.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Goldfish events are about musical escapism

Live/electronic duo journeyed from South Africa to Ibiza to San Diego
Next Article

San Diego Gen Z-ers spend 17% more than millennials did on rent

Half of local renters pay more than 30% of income on housing

San Diego-based defense firm General Atomics has unveiled the unarmed version of its Predator unarmed aerial vehicle, or drone, and expects it to be available for sale on the international market within months, Reuters is reporting.

So far, of over 500 drones sold by the company, all have gone to U.S. government agencies and friendly countries including Britan, Israel, and Turkey. But the company reportedly has eyes on broader markets in Latin America and Asia.

“There has been very considerable international interest,” General Atomics Aeronautical director of international strategy development Christopher Ames told Reuters, admitting that permission to sell drones laden with lethal weapons to “anyone other than the closest U.S allies” remained unlikely.

“There have been countries that for a long time have been asking for Predator . . . [the unarmed export variant] opens up those markets to us.”

Ames declined to disclose specifically which countries were interested in General Atomics’ technology, but diplomatic communications revealed by Wikileaks have identified Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (which has also been fingered as a buyer of the unarmed version of the Predator) as having been previously rebuffed by the federal government in their attempts to purchase armed versions of the aircraft.

Industry officials, meanwhile, continue to push for reduced limitations on their ability to sell war technology to foreign governments.

“I do think the regime could do with re-examination,” says Ames of American policy.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.