President Trump will loosen rules governing the export of lethal drones to U.S. allies, Reuters reports, and may announce these changes as soon as this month.
The president has been lobbied by American drone manufacturers, who say foreign rivals are beating them on the international market thanks to fewer restrictions in their home countries, like China and Israel. Trump is expected to cast the change as a feature of his "Buy American" campaign, which also includes his steel and aluminum tariffs plan. Though rules may not be changed for the Predator drone, the white craft that has become the face of the U.S. drone war, sources told Reuters that both surveillance craft and smaller drones that carry fewer missiles over shorter distances will be affected.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Is Cop29 a 'waste of time'?Today's Big Question World leaders stay away as spectre of Donald Trump haunts flagship UN climate summit
-
The rise of the celebrity chef tourThe Week Recommends Chefs and food writers are hosting sell-out live events around the world
-
'Thank you for your service'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
Fed cuts rates, chair says he won't quit if Trump asksSpeed Read Jerome Powell was noncommittal on future rate cuts that were expected before Trump won the election
-
Judge revives plea deal for 9/11 suspectsSpeed Read A military judge has ruled to restore the plea deals struck by 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-conspirators
-
Harris concedes as world prepares for Trump's returnSpeed Read Vice President Kamala Harris told supporters it was important to 'accept the results of this election'
-
Abortion rights measures go 7 for 10Speed Read Constitutional amendments to protect abortion passed in seven states but failed in three others: Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota
-
Netanyahu fires defense minister, sparking protestsSpeed Read Yoav Gallant and Netanyahu have clashed for years. The Israeli prime minister first tried to fire the defense minister in 2023, but backed off following a public outcry.
-
Trump wins, GOP flips Senate, House a tossupSpeed Read The Republican candidate flipped back the swing states he lost to President Joe Biden in 2020
-
Supreme Court to resolve Louisiana gerrymanderSpeed Read The court will hear a case challenging the second majority-Black district in the state
-
Russia accused of election agitation, firebomb plotSpeed Read European officials accused Russian operatives of plotting to smuggle incendiary devices aboard planes bound for the US
