NATO acquiring UAVs - UPI.com Boeing's Hummingbird unmanned aerial vehicle is seen during the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) 2011 exhibit of products used for military, civil and first response applications in Washington, DC, on August 17, 2011. OSLO, Norway, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Norway reports that defense ministers of NATO states have decided to acquire unmanned aerial surveillance aircraft. Common solutions have tied NATO together for over 60 years and give the nations of the alliance access to strategic capabilities that are disproportionately expensive to acquire alone," said Norwegian Defense Minister Espen Barth Eide. This decision is therefore a very good example of why it is important for Norway to join the NATO. He added, "NATO nations show, with this decision, that there is a political will to work together to invest in public safety despite the difficult economic situation that affects many countries." The high-altitude drones would cover land and sea areas -- including transportation routes and oil and gas installations -- and would be controlled from a ground station in Italy. NATO would own and operate the UAVs. No details were given on possible candidate aircraft for the program but Norway's Ministry of Defense said the aircraft chosen would be operational in 2017.