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First French Reaper delivered to Africa

6th January 2014 - 15:49 GMT | by Beth Stevenson in London

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The first MQ-9 Reaper system for the French Air Force has been delivered to the Sahel region of Africa ahead of its initial deployment in support of operations in the area, the French MoD has revealed.

It is believed to have been delivered at the end of December, after which the French Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, officially accepted the system during a trip to Niger on 1 January.

It is expected to become operational in January to carry out anti-terrorism surveillance, although the specific timeline has yet to be revealed.

‘This acquisition is intended to make up for the

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Author

Beth Stevenson

Beth is a former senior reporter for Digital Battlespace and Unmanned Vehicles magazines. Beth graduated …

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