The State Department is working to establish a set of guidelines on the export and use of armed unmanned systems and has attempted to convince foreign allies to sign on the new rules, Defense News reported Thursday.
Aaron Mehta and Barbara Opall-Rome write the department aims to commence a two-pronged approach that will issue a Joint Declaration for military “strike-enabling†unmanned aerial vehicles and establish a task force that will plan a voluntary Code of Conduct for exporting and importing nations.
A department official told Defense News that agency leaders aim to attract as many countries as possible to sign the joint declaration that will then develop an international working group that discusses standards during the next phase of the strategy.
Avascent has identified 15 foreign nations interested or have “put forth money” on the procurement of armed drones that will spend a projected $13.4 billion from fiscal years 2015 to 2021.
