The USAF buys Its Biggest and Fastest Armed Drone Ever

[ via Business Insider ] 31 Dec

The Air Force just bought itself the next generation "hunter-killer" drone, and at nearly 16,000 pounds and 44 feet long the Avenger is now the largest UAV in the U.S. arsenal.

Avenger - the biggest drone ever (Photo: General Atomics)

William Hennigan of the LA Times reports the $15 million drone is one of the models in consideration to replace the aging Predators and Reapers in use for the past several years.

The new drone won't be able to fly as long as the Reaper, 20 hours compared the the Reaper's 30, but it will reach a top speed of 460 mph, more than 120 mph faster than its predecessor.

Read more: Business Insider

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Iran Complains to UN over of U.S. Drone Incursion

[ Tehran Times ] 9 Dec

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations has called on the UN to condemn the recent violation of Iranian airspace by a U.S. spy drone RQ-170, that intruded some 250 kilometers inside Iranian territory up to the northern region of the city of Tabas, where it was eventually shot down.

Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Khazaii made the plea in a letter sent Thursday to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, and Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s UN ambassador who holds the rotating Security Council presidency for December.

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Dubai Air Show: UAE introduces Armed Drone

Full Story: Yahoo News 18 Nov

A surprise at Dubai Air Show stunned everyone - display of an armed drone developed by a UAE based firm Ascom Systems, Thursday.

"MALE"

The drone called MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) or simply United 40, has a  wingspan of 17.5 metres, and resorted to have a maximum payload of 400 kilogrammes, and carries 300 litres of fuel, of which 260 litres are in the wings. And its special feature: It can carry eight 60-kilometre (37-miles) range "Nemrod" missiles in its fuselage.

Read full story for details..

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