US military bases in Niger

In Niger, the construction of a base of us strike drones has begun.

The us military is building a base in Niger for unmanned aerial vehicles designed for counter-terrorism operations. According to RBC with reference to the Associated Press, the opening of the new US air force base is planned for the beginning of 2019.

The new base is located a few kilometers from the major city of agades in the North of the country. Its construction is at the request of the Nigerian government, the Agency explains.

According to him, fighter jets and MQ-9 "riper" drones will be deployed at the base, which will be transferred from the capital of Niger, Niamey. They will be equipped with tracking equipment and weapons systems for attacking terrorist targets. The number of drones is not specified. It is also not reported how many American troops will be transferred to Niger.

Presumably, the drones are going to be used to attack the militants of the terrorist organizations "al-Qaeda" and "Islamic state", located in the African Sahel region, which includes the territories of Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of Chad, Sudan and Eritrea.

According to unnamed representatives of the US air force, the new base will cost us taxpayers $ 110 million.

The Associated Press notes that the number of American military personnel in Niger has grown from 100 to 800 over the past few years. The largest American contingent in Africa, numbering 4,000, is located in camp Lemonier in Djibouti.