UK setting dangerous precedent in refusing basic information about drone use
By Chris Cole – In response to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request from Drone Wars, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has againrefused to
detail the number of armed British Reaper drones undertaking operations
in Iraq and Syria, the location of their base in the Middle East
or whether they have been involved in missions over Libya. The UK is
known to have ten armed Reaper drones in service.
The MoD insists that both the number of British Reaper drones
involved in operations against ISIS and the location of their base must
remain secret “for reasons of safeguarding operational security.”
In stark contrast the MoD quite readily gives details of other RAF
aircraft undertaking operations in Iraq and Syria as well as their operating base without it causing any problem with operational security (seeMoD leaflet here and FCO graphic left as example).
It appears that the RAF’s armed drones are being treated differently
from other military aircraft as the MoD wants the option to use them
covertly. Refusing to publish details of where the UK’s armed drones are
at any given time gives the UK the ability to deploy them on operations
without the public, the press and of course, the people they are being
used against, being aware of such operations. Importantly, as the
graphics illustrate, this policy applies only to the UK’s armed drones
and not its other military aircraft.
