Navy planning to launch Mideast drone fleet with allies

The U.S. Navy is planning to launch a fleet of unmanned drones in the Middle East together with allied nations.

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. 5th Fleet, told The Associated Press that 100 unmanned drones would increase surveillance capabilities of the Navy so it can better monitor areas important to the flow of oil and shipping.

Cooper said he hoped the drones would be operational by the summer of 2023. It wasn’t clear which nations would join the U.S. in the fleet