U.S.-Made Drones Add Muscle to Australia’s Military Buildup
Canberra also is holding talks with Papua New Guinea about basing warships at the country’s main naval port on Manus Island
CANBERRA, Australia—Australia said it would buy American-made Reaper drones and may station warships in neighboring Papua New Guinea, as the U.S. ally bulks up its military in response to regional security threats.
Defense Minister Christopher Pyne said Australia would buy 12 to 16 MQ-9B Reaper drones from Poway, Calif.-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., becoming the first Asia-Pacific country to acquire the armed unmanned aircraft used by the U.S. military in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
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