Keith Webster
President, Defense and Aerospace Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
President, Federal Acquisition Council, Cyber, Space and National Security Policy Division, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Published
July 24, 2020
Today, the President took action to improve standards for exporting unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The announcement can be foundhere.
The President has decided to invoke our national discretion to treat a carefully selected subset of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Category I UAS, which cannot travel faster than 800 kilometers per hour, as Category II. As such, the United States has determined that it will overcome the MTCR’s strong presumption of denial for this UAS subset.
This action, which is consistent with MTCR Guidelines and the objectives of the April 2018 UAS Export Policy, will increase our national security by improving the capabilities of our partners and increase our economic security by opening the expanding UAS market to United States industry. It also sets a strong example for other MTCR partners to adopt the same standard.
About the authors
Keith Webster
Keith Webster, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Defense and Aerospace Council, guides the focus of the council to strengthen the U.S. defense and aerospace industries by influencing domestic and international policy on behalf of its members.
