In early September, construction began of an apron south of the airport at a blue hangar. According to various sources, the main bases of the drones would likely be in Harar Meda, the military airport south of Addis Abeba. Yet actual proof from the ground was missing. Though the location and source could not be verified, this was a first indication Chinese drones were already flying over Tigray. In early November, photos published online, allegedly taken in Mekelle, located in the Tigray province, show a Wing Loong I drone. Screenshot from Youtube video with interview Following unconfirmed reports – based on leaked information combined with meticulous flight tracking of cargo planes arriving from China by Twitter User indicated that TL-1 Air-to-Surface missiles, to be used on drones, were shipped to Ethiopia. Photos shared with the author via a source in Ethiopiaĭespite all earlier rumours, there was no confirmation of Chinese armed drones, until an interview surfaced with Ethiopian Air Force commander Yilma Merdassa, first reported by the Oryx blog, who stated that Ethiopia would be acquiring Chinese drones, while having a statue of a Wing Loong I drone in front of him. Follow-up reporting by Oryx based on these images point towards possible Emirati involvement, as similar constructions with mortar grenades were used in Yemen by the UAE-backed forces and seem to have Chinese origin, although that is not yet confirmed. We have not been able to geolocate these images though the context makes it a credible claim, as the landscape on the photos resembles characteristics of the Ethiopian environmental features. Photos shared with the author show people wearing Ethiopian army military uniforms working on commercial drones. In the meantime, other sightings seem to point towards the weaponization of commercial drones with mortar grenades. Overview of Planet Skysat images showing aircraft fitting Mohajer-6 measurements at Semera Air Base Though the resolution is not optimal, length and wingspan fit the size of the Mohajer-6. Later in 2021, it was revealed, based on social media posts and satellite imagery from Planet, that Ethiopia is flying Iranian Mohajer-6 armed drones at Semera, a newly constructed airbase in the east of the country.Īccording to various informal sources, the drones went out of operation for a brief period, caused by malfunctioning, but new high resolution satellite imagery provided by Planet seems to indicate these drones were on the tarmac again in September and October 2021. This blog will reveal a new armed drone now confirmed to be present and share an update on other drone developments in Ethiopia.ĭespite claims made last year of Chinese drones flown by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from a base in Eritrea, no proof was found of these drones were actually deployed over Ethiopia. Since the outbreak of the conflict between the Tigray Defence Force, a constellation of armed groups, and defected federal forces based in the north of the country, and central government, there has been much speculation over the use of armed drones by Ethiopia’s armed forces. These drones appear to have been delivered recently to the military airport of Harar Meda, south of Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa. New Airbus high resolution satellite imagery from November 2021 now confirms the presence of Chinese Wing Loong drones in Ethiopia.
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