The Ministry of Defense of Ecuador has communicated the upcoming commissioning of American MQ-9 Reaper drones, used in other conflicts such as the war against Iran, with the aim of reinforcing the surveillance of the country's borders and supporting the fight against drug trafficking.
In a message disseminated on social networks, the Defense portfolio has emphasized that "International cooperation with the United States allows the incorporation of MQ-9 Reaper drones, with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities," presenting these unmanned aircraft as "the new hunters of drug trafficking."
The Minister of Defense, Gian Carlo Loffredo, has explained that the purchase of these devices, "which have a range of 24 hours and a travel capacity of 400 kilometers," is part of "a project to strengthen border control" that the Government of Daniel Noboa is "kicking off." He has specified, "With two of these we cover the 732 kilometers of border with Colombia."
Loffredo has highlighted that the deployment will be supported by "FLIR technology (an acronym for forward-looking infrared), LIDAR (light detection and ranging), thermal, electro-optical" and also "artificial intelligence to start learning what it is detecting."
Additionally, the plan includes the installation of land and maritime sensors "to detect the movement of people, vehicles, and vessels," along with "electro-optical cameras, a cluster of satellites that will allow us to see in real time the entire Ecuadorian territory."