The United States is building an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) base in Niger, Africa. These UAVs will enable the United States and its allies to monitor wide areas of West and North Africa for anti-government Islamic militants and other rebel groups.

The U.S. is already using MQ-9 Reaper UAVs in Africa to hit local extremist groups (Picture source: Youtube)

U.S. Army Green Berets are already training Nigerien forces to carry out counterterrorism raids. The U.S. is already carrying out air strikes on local extremist groups using armed UAVs. The United States has doubled the number of troops operating in Niger in recent years. Elements of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State are operating in the region.

Hundreds of U.S. Air Force personnel are working to complete Air Base 201, which will cost $110 million. The base will be complete in the coming months. The U.S. will move MQ-9 Reaper UAVs to Air Base 201 once its runway and hangars are completed in 2019.