US Navy plans launch of Mideast drone force alongside allies

Published February 21, 2022 6:33 AM

By ISABEL DEBRE and JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet is planning the launch of a new joint fleet of unmanned drones with allied nations to patrol vast swaths of the region’s volatile waters as tensions simmer with Iran. Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads the 5th Fleet, told The Associated Press on Monday that 100 unmanned drones, both sailing and submersible, would dramatically multiply the surveillance capacities of the U.S. Navy, allowing it keep a close eye on waters critical to the flow of the global oil and shipping. Trade at sea has been targeted in recent years as Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers collapsed.

Article Topic Follows: AP National News

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