Recently, the White House has announced new policy reforms aimed at loosening existing restrictions on the sale of U.S-made unmanned aerial vehicles. In particular, they include: making sales to U.S. allied and partner nations easier; allowing direct commercial sales from local distributors to approved U.S. military allies and partners (also known as the "Green Light Program"; permitting direct sales from distributors with strike technology); providing additional finance options for those wishing to purchase commercial systems in countries with a less friendly climate or political climate; and streamlining processes for delivery. These policies will help to provide greater access to UAVs in foreign markets.
In order to begin, the President has directed the United States to begin an open sale of our unmanned aerial vehicles to all members of the coalition in Afghanistan under the Green Light Program. We will continue to be a part of the program as long as the requirements are met. Additionally, the USTR is directed to release guidance that clarifies how the Green Light Program will be used.
It is important to note that this initiative is only a "starter" program. While the White House's intent is to open the door for more sales to certain allies and coalition partners, we do not expect to see an immediate change in our position on international sales of UAVs.
Another change in our policy includes an increase in our ability to determine if the strike system we have deployed in the Afghanistan theater of operations is the best strike solution to a specific threat. We are looking at multiple factors including the number of strikes each day against a given target, the complexity of the threat posed, and the amount of collateral damage. We are also examining the cost and feasibility of alternative options.
As part of these efforts, the USTR will continue to review our capabilities in the strike module by module. The goal of this work is to make sure that the United States remains at the forefront of unmanned aerial vehicle technology.
This policy initiative will have some impact on the availability of UAVs in International drone sales. However, we are expecting to see a significant increase in worldwide demand for unmanned aerial vehicles over the next several years and a decrease in the number of countries that restrict or even prohibit the use of UAVs.
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