Germany Denies Pentagon UAV ClaimAGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 5 Aug 12:15 EDT (16:15 GMT)
BERLIN - Germany on Aug. 5 denied a Pentagon report that its military was seeking to buy new armed drones that the United States recently began flying in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"There are no plans to purchase a fighter drone for the Bundeswehr," a spokesman for the defense ministry in Berlin said.
In notifications to Congress, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Aug. 4 that Germany requested a possible purchase of five of the unmanned combat aircraft while Italy was seeking four.
Both countries wanted the new drones "for the defense of deployed troops, regional security and interoperability with the United States," the agency said.
Known as a hunter-killer drone, the Reaper can carry four Hellfire missiles and two 500-pound laser guided bombs, and remain aloft tracking a target for long periods of time.
A sale to Germany, with one year of maintenance support, was estimated to be worth 205 million dollars (132 million euros).
Germany has more than 3,000 troops in Afghanistan.
"By acquiring this capability, Germany will be able to provide the same level of protection for its own forces as those of the United States," the agency said.
Source
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3660212&c=EUR&s=AIR
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