The US can’t use its $110 million drone base in Niger
The United States spent $110 million to build a drone base in Niger.
BY JEFF SCHOGOL | PUBLISHED AUG 1, 2023 2:06 PM EDT
The U.S. military is unable to fly drones from a base in Niger because the country’s airspace has been closed after a coup overthrew the government in late July, a U.S. official said.
Known as “Nigerien Air Base 201,” the installation cost $110 million to build and it features a 6,200-foot runway for MQ-9 Reapers as well as manned aircraft. The U.S. military began conducting drone flights from the base in November 2019.
About 1,100 U.S. troops are currently deployed to Niger, according to the Defense Department. The country is an important partner in the U.S. military’s efforts to counter the Islamic State group and other terrorist organizations in Africa. In October 2017, four U.S. soldiers were killed near the Nigerien village of Tongo Tongo after being attacked by more than 100 ISIS fighters.
Politico first reported that U.S. military drones were unable to fly from a base near Agadez, Niger, after the country’s armed forces ousted Niger’s president in a July 26 coup.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/us-military-drone-missions-niger-halted/
