No predators for NZ soldiers

MICHAEL FIELD

New Zealand’s military is not about to get killer drones despite including a couple of them in an illustration in a submission to Parliament.

Instead the military is likely to go no further than a handheld unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of taking very good video and transmitting it live.

The NZDF recently made submissions to Parliament’s foreign affairs and defence select committee and included a stylised drawing of where they saw themselves in the decade ahead.

Leading the charge over the Pacific Ocean were two Predator drones which cost around US$4 million ($5 million) a piece and can be armed with missiles.

On Friday, for example, US drones killed 12 militants in Pakistan. US President Barrack Obama is known to personally confirm all drone kill orders.

The NZDF, asked to explain the illustration, said they are still working out where drones “might fit in the mix of technology available.

“It seems certain that UAV will be considered; in particular as we decide on how best to deliver the maritime surveillance needs of New Zealand into the future.”

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7241913/No-predators-for-NZ-soldiers