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

this acquisition will undoubtedly increase the capabilities of the KDF and reduce its reliance on the KAF, shabab will soon face genocide on a greater scale. if all of you can remember the AMISOM forces were stuck in mogadishu for 3 years until they acquired these drones which eventually helped them push out shabab from mogadishu. these drones are especially useful in urban warfare like in a kismayo scenario. but if obama wants to help kenya in this war he should just sell technology of this weapons and not hardware, so that Kenyans can manufacture then en mass locally

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

so much for common sense ....

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 ....

Soma vizuri hio makala...hizi naniliu kumbe wa-Ganda washapewa tangia mwaka jana. Kenya wanapewa
mwaka huu afu ngoja usikize kero hapa!...By the way Waganda wamezitumia kufanya nini vile?

Oh kisha msaada wenyewe unahusu nchi kadhaa...ikiwemo Burundi, Djibouti na Uganda.

Wakenya kwa kupenda ligi hawajambo eti....lol!

By Nairoberry

this acquisition will undoubtedly increase the capabilities of the KDF and reduce its reliance on the KAF, shabab will soon face genocide on a greater scale. if all of you can remember the AMISOM forces were stuck in mogadishu for 3 years until they acquired these drones which eventually helped them push out shabab from mogadishu. these drones are especially useful in urban warfare like in a kismayo scenario. but if obama wants to help kenya in this war he should just sell technology of this weapons and not hardware, so that Kenyans can manufacture then en mass locally

I concur with u Mkuu Nairoberry but the big issue we need to solve the problem at hand, the KDF is engaging the El Shabb and Al Qaidar at the moment. There fore what the USA govt has done is perfect wright for the KDF to acquire RPV for engaging the enemy at the wright time. The issue of providing technology and assembling the RPVs will develop in time with servicing and maintenance, of cause you can see the logic!!!

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 ....

Mkuu The Boss hata jamaa zetu Kenya wakiblag kama ilivyo kawaida yao hakuna shida provided waweze to contain hao El-Shabab and team huko huko Somalia. Waswahili wana usemi ''mwenzio akinyolewa za kwako tia maji''!!!

By Ab-Titchaz

Soma vizuri hio makala...hizi naniliu kumbe wa-Ganda washapewa tangia mwaka jana. Kenya wanapewa
mwaka huu afu ngoja usikize kero hapa!...By the way Waganda wamezitumia kufanya nini vile?

Oh kisha msaada wenyewe unahusu nchi kadhaa...ikiwemo Burundi, Djibouti na Uganda.

Wakenya kwa kupenda ligi hawajambo eti....lol!

Waganda wanamtafutia Joseph Konyi kwenye misitu ya Congo na mbuga za Central Africa!!!

By Nairoberry

this acquisition will undoubtedly increase the capabilities of the KDF and reduce its reliance on the KAF, shabab will soon face genocide on a greater scale. if all of you can remember the AMISOM forces were stuck in mogadishu for 3 years until they acquired these drones which eventually helped them push out shabab from mogadishu. these drones are especially useful in urban warfare like in a kismayo scenario. but if obama wants to help kenya in this war he should just sell technology of this weapons and not hardware, so that Kenyans can manufacture then en mass locally

Guess we have enough Enginners,technician,programme rs and scientist to rip apart a drone "steal" and ultimately improve the drone technology. Amatuers are already flying DIY drones www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/06/ff_drones/all

Tatizo kubwa la vijana wa leo ni kutokusoma historia na kubaki kujisifia kila pale wazungu wanapowapa misaada. Hebu jaribu kuipitia na kuona Lobengula alivyopigwa mikwara na wazungu na kujikuta ameingizwa mitini!

Lobengula

Early in his reign he had few encounters with white men (although a Christian mission station had been set up at Inyati in 1859), but this changed when gold was discovered on the Rand within the boundaries of the South African Republic in 1886. Lobengula had granted Sir John Swinburne the right to search for gold and other minerals on a tract of land in the extreme south-west of Matabeleland between the Shashi and Ramaquabane rivers in about 1870, in what became known as the Tati Concession. However, it was not until about 1890 that any significant mining in the area commenced. Lobengula had been tolerant of the white hunters who came to Matabeleland and he would even go so far as to punish those of his tribe who would threaten the whites.

But he was wary about negotiation with outsiders and when a British team, F. R Thompson, Charles Rudd and Rochfort Maguire, came in 1888 to try to persuade him to grant them the right to dig for minerals in additional parts of his territory, the negotiations took many months. Lobengula only gave his agreement to Cecil Rhodes when his friend, Dr. Leander Starr Jameson who had treated Lobengula for gout once before, secured money and weaponry for the Matabele in addition to a pledge that any people who came to dig would be considered as living in his Kingdom. As part of this agreement, and at the insistence of the British, neither the Boer nor the Portuguese would be permitted to settle or gain concessions in Matabeleland. The 25-year Rudd Concession was signed by Lobengula on 3 October 1888 and by Queen Victoria on 20 October 1889.

By October 1897, the white colonists had successfully settled in much of the territory known later as Rhodesia and Matabeleland was no more.

Wikipedia

Kaa chonjo, kamwe wazungu sio rafiki wa waafrika.

By Ab-Titchaz

Soma vizuri hio makala...hizi naniliu kumbe wa-Ganda washapewa tangia mwaka jana. Kenya wanapewa
mwaka huu afu ngoja usikize kero hapa!...By the way Waganda wamezitumia kufanya nini vile?

Oh kisha msaada wenyewe unahusu nchi kadhaa...ikiwemo Burundi, Djibouti na Uganda.

Wakenya kwa kupenda ligi hawajambo eti....lol!

HA HA HAA
Wanapenda ligi utasema Kenya ndio Africa's biggest Nation..

By The Boss

HA HA HAA
Wanapenda ligi utasema Kenya ndio Africa's biggest Nation..

Ngoja Miguna wa Miguna akusikie...

Try to see what happening now in kenya was planned a years ago and not today ,some threats already observed so its time now for drones to take parts in fighting for alshabaab.This types of fighting we are not expecting to nearly finish may be it could take year and the technoledge now in some country it advanced to miles .this a threat not opportunity

Btw, this is how they entered other countries like Pakistan, soon the whole of EA will be engulfed in a severe civil disobedience and those drones will be used for urban combats in our major towns like Zanzibar, Nairobi, Mombasa, Kampala etc...Just a matter of time....

hi ab tichaz and sidekicks,long time no see no grenade attack, guess what no one is boasting about these drones, i have cleary stated they were given to AMISOM and uganda in particular and they went along way to help them defeat al shabab in Mogadishu where they were stuck in a 2km squared location for almost four years. my only point is that if the Americans and Obama in particular want to help Kenya they should just sell them this drone technology. alternatively KDF should just send one drone to be reaped apart by an IT company in Nairobi for analysis and future mass production. 8 drones are too little. another benefit though is that the KDF will learn how to operate drones,very few countries in africa have that capability

By Nairoberry

this acquisition will undoubtedly increase the capabilities of the KDF and reduce its reliance on the KAF, shabab will soon face genocide on a greater scale. if all of you can remember the AMISOM forces were stuck in mogadishu for 3 years until they acquired these drones which eventually helped them push out shabab from mogadishu. these drones are especially useful in urban warfare like in a kismayo scenario. but if obama wants to help kenya in this war he should just sell technology of this weapons and not hardware, so that Kenyans can manufacture then en mass locally

True, true but kindly inform us of some equipment manufactured in Kenya. It will enable us to judge kenya's abilty to make drones.

By Nairoberry

hi ab tichaz and sidekicks,long time no see no grenade attack, guess what no one is boasting about these drones, i have cleary stated they were given to AMISOM and uganda in particular and they went along way to help them defeat al shabab in Mogadishu where they were stuck in a 2km squared location for almost four years. my only point is that if the Americans and Obama in particular want to help Kenya they should just sell them this drone technology. alternatively KDF should just send one drone to be reaped apart by an IT company in Nairobi for analysis and future mass production. 8 drones are too little. another benefit though is that the KDF will learn how to operate drones,very few countries in africa have that capability

Sema Morio,

Unajua Big Mig had taken up all political space in the past few days...sasa lets get back to what we do best.

....if wishes were horses beggars would ride!

...if only ripping the drones apart to gain the technology was be that easy.....

...mumepewa nane afu unasema eti ni chache tu sana...beggars can't be choosers nanii!

...Remember the Al-Shabaab have put Nairobi on notice that they will be striking during
Ramadhan. Will these drones be deployed in Nairobi?

Just playing the devils advocate.

Good day.

HomeNews

NEWS

Serviceman of the Baltic fleet marines' reconnaissance group setting a Grusha unmanned air vehicle in flight at the Khmelevka military range, the testing grounds for air drones in this file photo. The United States plans to provide eight small drones to Kenya as part of a new package to help combat Somalia militia Al-Shabaab July 21, 2012 By NATION Reporter

Posted Saturday, July 21 2012 at 10:12

The United States plans to provide eight small drones to Kenya as part of a new package to help combat Somalia militia Al-Shabaab.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the "eight hand-launched Raven drones" will form part of key military assistance from the Pentagon.

The WSJ said a review of Pentagon documents shows that Kenya will get the Raven drones with sensors used to pinpoint targets.

Ravens are unarmed but can be used to identify targets for strikes using ground forces, the WSJ says.

"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," the WSJ reported quoting a Pentagon document.

"This assistance will improve the tactical effectiveness and operational reach of the Kenyan National Defence 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, WSJ said.

Ayiiii... What will be a terrible life for Al-Shaabab? they will be cooked from far up in the sky by DRONES...

They will not know what cooked them... THEY SHOULD STOP THIS WAR AND BE HUMAN BEINGS AGAIN...

By Ab-Titchaz

...Remember the Al-Shabaab have put Nairobi on notice that they will be striking during
Ramadhan. Will these drones be deployed in Nairobi?

Just playing the devils advocate.

Good day.

I knew it ! You have being lying low waiting for a terror attack to gain vocal strength. Lakini wapi? shindwe kabisa pepo mbaya tema mate mabaya. al shabab will never carry out a major bomb attack in kenya except the nuisance grenades. the best they can do is a fertilizer bomb in outskirts of Nairobi CBD. Again Kenya is way beyond TZ league in these matters of CT.
good day and tell us more on the colorado terrosism and stop being obsessed with Kenya

By Nairoberry

hi ab tichaz and sidekicks,long time no see no grenade attack, guess what no one is boasting about these drones, i have cleary stated they were given to AMISOM and uganda in particular and they went along way to help them defeat al shabab in Mogadishu where they were stuck in a 2km squared location for almost four years. my only point is that if the Americans and Obama in particular want to help Kenya they should just sell them this drone technology. alternatively KDF should just send one drone to be reaped apart by an IT company in Nairobi for analysis and future mass production. 8 drones are too little. another benefit though is that the KDF will learn how to operate drones,very few countries in Africa have that capability

You're right. But because the "war industry" of the US gains so much in selling weapons I don't think this will happen any time soon. What we need to do is to go the Chinese way. They have created several faculty in reputable university whose role is solely to deconstruct manufactured goods (as small as a button or as large as a concord) and reconstruct them using cheaper material and enhanced technology, for mass prodction. with these modification they are able to avoid the intellectual property claims from the first author/creator. If we wait for the US to give permission we could wait forever!