New reporting from Reuters Friday reveals that the Trump administration is paving the path to sell armed drones to nations including Saudi Arabia and UAE by moving to “reinterpret” a three-decades old arms export control arrangement.
At issue is the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), an agreement between 35 nations including the U.S. Established in 1987, its goal is to “maintain vigilance over the transfer of missile equipment, material, and related technologies usable for systems capable of delivering WMD.”
MTCR “places particular focus on rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles capable of delivering a payload of at least 500 kg to a range of at least 300 km and on equipment, software, and technology for such systems,” says the website for the regime.
The planned interpretation, Reuters reported, citing information from weapons industry executives and a U.S. official, “could open up sales of armed U.S. drones to less stable governments such as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates,” which had thus far been barred from receiving such weaponry under the arms export controls in the MTCR.
Approved sales under the new interpretation are expected “as soon as this summer” following a review next week by the White House National Security Council, the outlet added, adding that it “could not determine what specific criteria the State Department will use in scrutinizing weapons deals under the new interpretation.”
Reuters also noted that the move is “part of a broader Trump administration effort to sell more weapons overseas.”
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Common Dreams | Radio Free (2020-06-12T16:50:30+00:00) Amid Push to ‘Sell More Weapons Overseas,’ Report Indicates Trump Moving to Expand Drone Exports. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2020/06/12/amid-push-to-sell-more-weapons-overseas-report-indicates-trump-moving-to-expand-drone-exports/
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