The Drone Race

The manufacturing of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones as they are more commonly called, is no longer a monopoly owned by the European nations and the Far East. These marvels of modern technology are now being produced by Muslim countries including Turkey, Iran, Jordan, and Egypt. Pakistan has recently begun manufacturing drone parts for Turkey.

Infamously known for its use by the United States and Israel in targeted killings without the risk of casualties on the side of the nation using it, these tools of war have become a milestone in the future of unmanned combat. And, for that reason, nations have been racing to acquire the technology and tools to manufacture these drones.

With the increase of US targeted killings in Pakistan, and with popular outrage over the damage this causes to the sovereignty of the nation, Pakistan was striving to manufacture its own drones to limit the US military actions within its borders. According to a Wall Street Journal article published in December 18th, 2012, Pakistan’s “defense industry is building what companies hope will be a domestic fleet of aerial drones that can take over the U.S.’s role in attacking militant strongholds.”

Lately, a new agreement between Turkey and Pakistan was signed, in which Pakistan would supply Turkey’s already-existing drone industry with new parts.

Numerous drones were produced by Pakistan, some of which were manufactured in partnership with China. Wikipedia, in its ‘List of Unnamed Aerial Vehicles’, lists over 30 drones made in Pakistan.

There are hopes that these drones would limit the US targeted killings of the so-called militants in Pakistan, and improve the guarding of Pakistani sovereignty over its territory.

Egypt has begun making progress in drone-manufacturing. Under Chinese licensing, Egypt has been producing ASN-209 drones, labeled as a ‘multipurpose unmanned aerial vehicle.’

Iran has built various types of drones. One drone, the Karrar, an unmanned combat aerial vehicle, was revealed in 2010, one day after the completion and activation of a nuclear reactor in that nation. Iran’s military manufacturing capabilities seem to be unaffected by the numerous sanctions imposed upon it in response to its nuclear project.

Turkey is a major drone producer. Its earlier partnership in military production with Israel enabled it to improve its military technology, and granted it easy access to drone technology. This cooperation in military advancement, however, was affected by the deterioration in political relations following the Israeli attack on the Turkish humanitarian ship that was travelling to Gaza. According to a recent article by the World Tribune titled “Strained Ties with Israel frustrating Turkey’s request for advanced US drones,” the US didn’t help Turkey with advanced combat drones due to Turkey’s strained relations with Israel.

Drone technology has lead to an arms race for developed unmanned aerial vehicles. The benefits drones have in military operations have led nations around the world to invest financial and human resources to manufacture and build these mechanical birds. Military operations with zero casualties, dreams of the past, are becoming realities. Just as the sharing of nuclear technology was a tool that affected and was affected by international relations, drone technology has also played that same role.

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