UK To Become 1st Foreign Buyer Of Predator B Drone

Posted on: Sep. 29th, 2006 || Source: money.aol.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The Pentagon has signed off on the U.K.'s request to buy two Predator-B combat drones in a $77 million deal that would be the first overseas sale of the high-tech system.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the proposed sale, which is not yet final, late Wednesday. Congress has the power to block foreign military sales but rarely steps in.

If the sale proceeds, it will mark the first time the U.S. has allowed foreign sales of such a large and sophisticated robotics system. Smaller unmanned aerial vehicles are fairly easy to build and use. For example, Hezbollah used such aircraft against Israeli ships during recent fighting in Lebanon.

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