Unmanned Areal Vehicles to be deployed in Iraq

Miniature Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will be deployed to Iraq to provide increased protection for Australian Defence Force soldiers and will be a new ally in operational missions in the southern Al Muthanna province.

Defence Minister Robert Hill said four Skylark miniature UAVs will be deployed to assist the second rotation of the Al Muthanna Task Group (AMTG). A further two UAVs will remain in Australia for training and preparation purposes.

"The miniature UAVs will be used on reconnaissance and surveillance missions, and provide real-time information about the terrain and activities in an area," Senator Hill said.

"This will increase our troop's understanding of the Al Muthanna area, and increase their ability to respond to identified threats.

"The UAVs that will deploy with the AMTG are a miniature, lightweight and portable system that is easy to recover and relaunch."

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