The RQ-4D is designed to look for moving objects over large areas of the ground and sea. A spokesperson for Nato denied the purchase of the drones meant Nato was becoming its own army, saying it was about “creating the glue that brings and keeps allies together”. The aim is not for Nato to replace any of the allies, “because the allies are Nato”. The drone purchase came after the paucity of airborne surveillance assets available to the military alliance became obvious in the Libyan campaign in 2011. The drones were paid for from the Nato common funding pool, a collective fund for projects of use to all member states.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 23, 2020 21:00 UTC