A Trump administration official tells Defense News that a review is underway to "modernize and seek smarter new approaches to US defense trade policy." For years, unmanned aerial vehicle producers have sought to sell their products to a range of foreign buyers but have been blocked from doing so because of Defense Department concerns about sharing sophisticated and sensitive technology.
“A key goal is to ensure we strike the right balance among delivering top-shelf US defense articles to our allies and partners, [and] safeguarding the technological edge of the US defense industry,” the official said.
On July 18 Sputnik reported that China’s CH-5 Rainbow UAV had been scheduled for mass production. The Wall Street Journal reported at the time, “for the US, that is a strategic and commercial blow.”
The United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have purchased Chinese drones before, when US firms rejected their overtures. Recode reported in June that US executives have conducted a lot of drone research in the US but have chosen to do business with drone technology firms in countries with more relaxed regulations, among them Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
