Camp Phoenix, a US hub for logistics and training of Afghan troops during the war, where 457 British servicemen and women lost their lives is now an assembly line for the Taliban to build drones, with actual US MQ9 Reaper and Iranian Shahed 136 drones, provided by Iran, to uses as models.
The Taliban “engineers,” which includes a bin Laden era engineer who studied in the UK, are working to increase both the distance they can travel and the size of the explosive payloads.
They are also actively hunting for a drone technician, who was a former MI6 spy working against the Taliban and flew drones for the UK, who was refused sanctuary in the UK after the US withdrawal.
The Taliban is getting assistance from Turkey, China, Belarus and Bangladesh, in addition to the support from Iran, and close coordination with Russia, who has traveled with Taliban engineers on fact-finding trips to other countries working on developing drones.
This program has been operational for at least 2 years and capabilities are expanding significantly.
The Taliban recently showcased these drones to potential partners and CUSTOMERS in Afghanistan, including demonstration flights.
