The possibility of arming drones in the African nation has been escalated following the recent attack on a Green Beret unit that resulted in the deaths of four Americans.
Former Bush administration counterterrorism adviser, Juan Zarate, said: “It demonstrates that the US is expanding its use of lethal force.
“It also demonstrates that the war on terror is migrating.”
According to military and intelligence officials, the latest casualties have prompted calls for the US to take a more aggressive stance in their African operations.
If the US arm their Reapers, it would follow in the footsteps of France that has already equipped its unmanned aircraft with lethal capabilities.
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US officials are said to be confronting Niger’s government to allow US military forces to arm their drones.
Both Niger and its neighbour, Mali, are considered to be ripe breeding grounds for terrorist ideals with both ISIS and Al Qaeda said to be recruiting in the region.
The US believes that the group that ambushed the Green Berets were part of a group with an allegiance to ISIS.
The Obama administration was a big proponent of not allowing the armament of drones, however, moves to reverse the decision have been brewing for a while, according to NBC.
If US drones in the Niger were to be armed, they would join the likes of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq and Syria that have all been occupied by armed Reapers.
Colonel Rob Manning, a Defence Department spokesman, stated that he would not comment on “possible initiatives by the administration”.
He added: “The Department of Defence will always ensure our forces are properly equipped and have the necessary capabilities to accomplish their mission and defeat any threat.”
Officials claim that the Green Berets were targeted while performing a counterterrorism mission in the area from which only scarce details have emerged since the incident took place three weeks ago.
Reports of potential drone armament in Niger comes as it was recently revealed that next-generation tanks will ditch “human senses” for “algorithms and cameras” in a new vision set for the 2030s.
The new military initiative is an attempt to protect the lives of drivers that currently poke their heads out to observe their surroundings.
The next-generation of tanks are set to be equipped with a variation of infrared and visible-light cameras to provide the driver inside the tank with a 360-degree view of their surroundings.
Cameras will combine with Algorithms onboard the tanks that will be essential in delivering vital sensor enhancements that are one of the key reasons for ditching human senses.