The U.S. government on Tuesday established a policy for exports of military and commercial drones, including armed ones, and plans to work with other countries to shape global standards for the use of the controversial weapons systems.
The State Department said it would allow exports of lethal U.S. military drones under strict conditions, including that sales must be made through government programs and that recipient nations must agree to certain "end-use assurances."
The policy, the details of which are classified, comes after a two-year review amid growing demand from U.S. allies for the new breed of the weapons, which have played a key role in U.S. military actions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen.