The Chief of the Air Force says he would like Australia to buy armed Reaper drones – the kind used by the US to kill insurgents in Afghanistan and its neighbourhood – as soon as five years from now.

Air Marshal Geoff Brown has told Fairfax Media he is an enthusiast for unmanned planes, including the notorious Reaper – and its forerunner the Predator – that have been used to kill thousands of militants in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

Defence: Unmanned planes are expected to cost about $12 million each. Credit:Northrop Grumman

The drones, which would likely cost at least $12 million each, are effective for surveillance but can also carry weapons such as Hellfire missiles. Air Marshal Brown, a former fighter pilot, said Australia would “definitely” acquire some sort of armed drones in the future.

“I’m a great fan of capabilities that have a very multi-role aspect to them, and I think Predator-Reaper does have that,” he said. “I think the combination of a good...[intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] platform that’s weaponised is a pretty legitimate weapon system for Australia.”