Dutch, Canadians Purchase Mini-UAVs for Use in Afghanistan

Welcome to the commando Olympics, to use a term from StrategyPage that we quoted in our November 2005 coverage of Afghanistan's mini-UAVs like the American RQ-11A Raven and British MiTex Buster. Likewise, we have also covered field reports from the 101st Airborne in Iraq.

As sizeable contingents from Canada and the Netherlands settle in to southern Afghanistan as part of a beefed-up ISAF force under British command, portable mini-UAVs are the subject of emergency orders from both countries. At the same time, Canada is also holding a full-fledged mini-UAV procurement competition.

Loyal Benelux reader David Vandenberghe informs us that the Dutch have bought 10 Aladin UAVs and 5 ground stations for their Uruzgan mission in Afghanistan; Dutch troops will receive a crash course from the German army, who have used it in North Afghanistan. See MINDEF release, in Dutch.

The Canadian purchase is part of the $200 million set of emergency purchases for Operation Archer that DID covered in December 2005.

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