According to Sudan Tribune, Ethiopia has built the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone which could be used for multiple purposes.

After undergoing testing, the locally made drones, have demonstrated their capability of performing a number of militarily and civilian applications, according to the source.

Speaking on condition of anonymity from the country’s air force base in Debrezeit town, a military official said that the drones are equipped with onboard sensors, cameras and GPS to carry out cost-effective monitoring activities even across difficult landscapes like the highlands of Ethiopia.

Besides serving in a number of military missions - such as in monitoring border security - the UAVs will also be deployed to perform geophysical surveys, assist forest protection and monitor forest fires or other natural disasters.

Due to Ethiopia’s long and fragile borders with Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan and more recently South Sudan, he said it is timely for the country to use UAVs to monitor these shared and often tense and porous zones.

Ethiopia is a key regional security partner to the United States particularly in the war on terror due to its proximity to Yemen and Somalia.

Ethiopia has built a defence force capable of breaking any internal or external enemy.