Covert Drone War

Tracking US drone strikes and other covert actions in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia. Find details of the latest strikes with the full data here. The Bureau does not track Coalition strikes in Iraq and Syria - this work is done by Airwars.

Latest from this investigation

An MQ-9 Reaper equipped with an extended range modification sits on the ramp on Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Dec. 6, 2015. The Reaper is an armed, multimission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft used primarily as an intelligence collection asset and also against dynamic execution targets. The modification allows for 20 to 40 percent additional flight time.

Yemen: Reported US covert actions 2017

January 13, 2017 by Jessica Purkiss and Jack Serle - No comments

Dataset: The US aerial campaign continues in Yemen in its fifteenth year.

A Reaper MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) prepares for takeoff in Afghanistan. Remotley Piloted Air System (RPAS) are growing in importance and the RAF formed 39 Sqn at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada in 2007 to operate RAF MQ-9 PREDATOR B REAPER aircraft alongside the USAF squadrons. The UK has purchased a number of Reaper aircraft in support of UK ground forces in Afghanistan under the Reaper Urgent Operational Requirement (REAPER UOR). Reaper provides real-time video imagery to ground commanders, and has the capability to attack ground targets if required. The RAF and UK MoD has also taken the first step towards the next generation of Unmanned Combat Air Systems (UCAS). Project TARANIS, a joint MoD/BAESYSTEMS (plus other key UK industrial partners) venture, was unveiled in 2010 and a demonstrator is due to fly in 2011 in Woomera, Australia and it will be used to evaluate how RPAS/UCAS will contribute to the RAFs future mix of aircraft.

Has the cost of new UK drone fleet doubled to $1 billion?

December 1, 2016 by Jack Serle - 1 Comment

The Ministry of Defence announced plans to buy a new fleet of Predator drones from the US last April, stating the total cost would be £415m. Now the US says the estimated cost is £802m.

Airmen manhandle an MQ-9 Reaper drone used in Afghanistan by the US

Al Qaeda leader killed in US strike in Afghanistan

November 11, 2016 by Jessica Purkiss and Jack Serle - No comments

Senior al Qaeda leader Faruq al Qatani was killed in a “precision strike” on October 23 in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, the Pentagon has confirmed. A second strike that day is believed to have killed Bilal al Utabi, another senior al … Continued

The Bureau identifies 15 civilians killed in a single US airstrike

November 4, 2016 by Jessica Purkiss and Ruhullah Khapalwak - 2 Comments

The deaths amount to the biggest confirmed loss of civilian life in a single American strike in Afghanistan since the attack on the Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital in Kunduz last October.

Sorry for killing your son, CIA tells drone strike victim’s family during unprecedented meeting

October 28, 2016 by Jack Serle - No comments

In an unprecedented moment of transparency during a 14 year covert war, US officials have met the family of an accidental drone strike victim to explain what happened and apologise.

US Special Forces AC-130 gunships have been the primary platform for attacks in Somalia (Lockheed Martin/ Flikr)

US accused of killing 22 Somali soldiers and civilians

October 11, 2016 by Jessica Purkiss - No comments

Somali officials have claimed that the US killed 22 local soldiers and civilians in a drone strike that hit the north-central city of Galkayo late last month.

See Get the data: Drone wars for up to date figures on drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.