- As a step toward providing allied nations with weapons, the U.S. government has established a policy that will permit the widespread export of armed drones for the first time.
- Under the new rules, foreign governments' requests for drones will be examined on a case-by-case basis, while recipient nations must agree to certain "end-use assurances."
- To date, the U.S. has sold its armed drones only to Britain. Unarmed military drones, used primarily for intelligence, have been sold to several countries, including France and Italy.
- The shift in policy comes just days after the FAA proposed rules that would lift some restrictions on drones for commercial use.
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