Topic: Kenya Acquires Drones to fight al shabab terrorist and for regional security

WASHINGTON— The Pentagon plans to provide small drones to Kenya, part of a new package of military assistance for key African partners to combat al Qaeda and al Shabaab militants in Somalia.

Kenya will get eight hand-launched Raven drones with sensors used to pinpoint targets, according to Pentagon documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Ravens are unarmed but can be used to identify targets for strikes using ground forces or armed aircraft.

"This assistance will help build the capacity of Kenyan national military forces to conduct CT (counterterrorism) operations by providing tactical unmanned aircraft systems and training," a Pentagon document said. "This assistance will improve the tactical effectiveness and operational reach of the Kenyan National Defense Forces engaged in CT operations against al Shabaab in Somalia."

The Ravens for Kenya are part of an initial $41.4 million package of military aid that also includes trucks, communications gear and rifles for Burundi, Djibouti and Uganda.

The U.S. provided Ravens to Uganda last year, according to officials and documents.

The U.S. military has identified al Shabaab as a terrorist threat and has targeted some of the group's leaders in Somalia using drones and special forces. Officials said the new funds are meant to bolster the counterterrorism capabilities of key African allies in the region to go after the group and other al Qaeda supporters.

The Raven, which weighs 4.2 pounds and has a wingspan of 4.5 feet, is widely used by U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Made by California-based AeroVironment, the system is used by militaries in 18 countries, said Steven Gitlin, the company's vice president for communications. Foreign buyers include Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Norway, the Czech Republic, Thailand and Australia, the company said.

Each foreign sale of the Raven is subject to State Department review and export license requirements, Mr. Gitlin said.

Larger U.S. military and Central Intelligence Agency drones, including the Predator and the Reaper, carry missiles. The Obama administration wants to sell unarmed and armed Predators to key North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies but some lawmakers have raised objections.

U.S. to Provide Kenya With Drones to Fight Militants - WSJ.com

By Kabaridi

...highly sensitive active radiating emitting sensors ambazo hudetect adui...

Hizo sensitive active radiating emitting sensors ni zipi ambazo zinashindwa kuwaditekti askari malapa (al shaabab) hadi wanaripuwa mabomu katikati ya jiji la Nairobai. Au labda ni za kichina?

Wenzangu and especially Askari Kanzu, it is only fair tuzungumzie mambo ambayo tunayaelewa. I once said here somewhere that Alshabaab and their ever burgeoning amalgams/bokoharam,alqaeda,ICU,mulungun ipa/Uamsho........are not a monolithic bloc. These groups have created their own highly sophisticated civilian infrastructure tasked with collecting intelligence from the public. We are dealing here with a highly organized (Al shabaab) who have perfected a lot in terms of plan executon as a furtherance of their evolving doctrine. KDF has managed to weaken their backbone/economic lifeline which is key to destroying any militia; That doctrine differs significantly from others in terms of planned execution. In many of my references I have earlier said that the war in SOM cannot be likened to any other war. There was one here in EA that employed mass deployment tactics 'The Kagera war! where the police, armed forces and every security wing and forces were deployed past Kagera region into UGanda. So you can see that there is a lot to differentiate between the Somalia incursion and the kagera war. @KDF kudos and especially one-five kwa juhudi zilizofanywa hapo namibia hata ingawa inasemekana kenya was directly supporting RENAMO bandits that was symbolic of the old colonial legacy in Kenya not post independent Kenya. Somebody has said that but I was categorically clear before who were responsible for Renamo. SADF(south african defense forces) and West Germany. We have had Tanzania supporting and facilitating financially Angola and Mozambican political belligerents who's intent was to enforce terror to sitting governments elected via democratic means and via the constitution and rule of law those respective countries.

Kenyan fighter jets have mistakenly targeted a pro-government militia group in southern part of the war-torn Somalia

link PressTV - Kenyan fighter jets hit pro-government forces in Somali by mistake

By Bantugbro

Ngoja Miguna wa Miguna akusikie...

That guy is full of himself...nimekisoma kile kitabu chake nikujisifia tu....

Useless!!

By The Boss

Always Washington will provide lol
and some stupids Kenyans will brag about this as an achievement...lol

so much for common sense ....

we stupid African, we always buy weapons and luxiary cars. We don't even think of hospital equipment and apparatus or even educational facilities. In other side of the coin our people are dying of hunger, diseases, etc.

They cannot be defeated easily like that

naionea huruma kenya kwani nahisi itakua kama pakistani, hata somali kukitulia basi alshabaab wa kikenya wataviendeleza vita ndani ya kenya.

Miido town imechukuliwa congrats KDF forces as you advance to capture the last remaining Al shabaab hideout Kisimayu, halfu after all is said and done you will teach these docile and timid peace keepers in Darfur and Mogadishu the art of war.