Demand For US Drones Increasing Worldwide

Pilot Mark Bernhardt keeps an eye on an unmanned Predator drone from his chase plane as they fly over Victorville last year. NATO has requested the U.S. to supply more of the aircraft for the alliance's Libya campaign. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times / January 9, 2010)

Pentagon Mulls NATO Request For More U.S. Drones In Libya Campaign -- L.A. Times

A U.S. official says sending more Predator drones would require moving them from war zones, and counter-terrorism operations elsewhere, and that some U.S. officials and commanders oppose the move.

Reporting from Washington—The Obama administration is considering sending more Predator drones and other surveillance planes to bolster the NATO air war in Libya, and has reopened a debate over whether to give weapons to the rebels seeking to overthrow Moammar Kadafi, a senior Defense Department official said.

NATO commanders requested the sophisticated surveillance aircraft after concluding that they were running out of military targets in Libya after four months of bombing and missile strikes against Kadafi's military forces and command facilities, U.S. and NATO officials said.

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My Comment: In the war of attrition that is occurring in Libya, it is fast becoming apparent that drones are perfect for this type of conflict. Their ability to stay aloft for hours and survey the war-zone over wide distances means that when the enemy finally starts to move .... they can be spotted and targeted right away.