The U.S. plans to base MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles in Seychelles, in an effort to monitor and thwart piracy in the Indian Ocean region, according to a Sept. 2 Voice of America report. The Navy expects to deploy the UAVs there by the end of October. Reapers can stay airborne for more than 30 hours, fly more than 270 miles per hour, and carry weapons, the Seychelles-bound aircraft will be unarmed, a spokesman said.
