Aeronautics Aerostar UAVs in Service of AMISOM
The United States delivered three Aerostar tactical UAVs to the African Union Mission in Somalia. The ISR system is contractor-owned and operated under a one-year contract that began in September 2017
Ami Rojkes Dombe
| 08/03/2018
Source: AMISOM
On February 26, the US formally handed over an unmanned aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) system to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). An official within the US State Department told Jane's that the system comprises three Israeli-made Aeronautics Aerostar tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and is contractor-owned and operated under a one-year contract that began in September 2017.
Speaking during the formal handover ceremony, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson for Somalia, said the UAVs would provide AMISOM with real-time intelligence of militant groups that target AMISOM as well as Somali security forces.
US Africa Command officials told Jane’s that the surveillance system was donated in response to a request from Madeira and aims at increasing security along the main supply routes used by AMISOM for its logistics operations, as well as to strengthen its force protection during convoy movements and offensive operations.
"AMISOM has received training implemented through AFRICOM from US and UK military subject-matter experts on the techniques and tactics to properly request ISR from this aerial platform," said one of the officials. "Based on this training, AMISOM has created an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance cell to manage the tasking and analysis of the raw data provided by the US contractor-owned and operated system."
The United States delivered three Aerostar tactical UAVs to the African Union Mission in Somalia. The ISR system is contractor-owned and operated under a one-year contract that began in September 2017
Source: AMISOM
On February 26, the US formally handed over an unmanned aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) system to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). An official within the US State Department told Jane's that the system comprises three Israeli-made Aeronautics Aerostar tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and is contractor-owned and operated under a one-year contract that began in September 2017.
Speaking during the formal handover ceremony, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson for Somalia, said the UAVs would provide AMISOM with real-time intelligence of militant groups that target AMISOM as well as Somali security forces.
US Africa Command officials told Jane’s that the surveillance system was donated in response to a request from Madeira and aims at increasing security along the main supply routes used by AMISOM for its logistics operations, as well as to strengthen its force protection during convoy movements and offensive operations.
"AMISOM has received training implemented through AFRICOM from US and UK military subject-matter experts on the techniques and tactics to properly request ISR from this aerial platform," said one of the officials. "Based on this training, AMISOM has created an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance cell to manage the tasking and analysis of the raw data provided by the US contractor-owned and operated system."
