The United Nations wants to employ unarmed remotely piloted aircraft for the first time in a peacekeeping operation, reports AFP. UN officials would like to see member states, such as the United States or France, supply RPA for monitoring fighting in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Rwanda is accused of aiding rebels fighting the Congolese government, according to the wire service’s Nov. 23 report. This would be one step to strengthen MONUSCO, the UN’s stabilization mission in the DR Congo. However the precedent-setting move is raising concern among some UN members over the issue of who would have access to the intelligence information gathered by the overhead surveillance platforms, states the report.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft designs from Anduril and General Atomics passed their Critical Design Reviews early in November, clearing the way for detailed production efforts to get underway, the Air Force said. How future versions will be upgraded is still under discussion.