WASHINGTON, April 21: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Monday demanded a greater role for Predator drones in the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In a speech at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, Mr Gates criticised the air force for not providing enough drones and air support to the American troops fighting militants in these two countries.

The number of unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft called Predators in the US Air Force has grown 25-fold since the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001. Also called a drone; the Predator flies as high as 25,000 feet, carrying missiles and infrared cameras.

US troops in Afghanistan use the drones for targeting suspected Al Qaeda hideouts in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Previous attacks have caused widespread reactions in Pakistan and the country’s new political leadership has urged the United States to stop or minimise such attacks.

Officials in Islamabad recently claimed that Washington has promised not to conduct future drone attacks without first consulting them but officials in Washington say that if they have “actionable intelligence” about the presence of senior Al Qaeda leaders at a particular place, they will launch an attack.

Secretary Gates’ demand for a greater role for the drones in the war against terrorism also affirms this strategy.

The drones, Mr Gates said, can watch, hunt and sometimes kill insurgents without risking the life of a pilot.

He said he has been trying for months to get the US Air Force to send more drones to the battlefield to collect real-time surveillance video but has faced resistance from some senior military leaders.

“Because people were stuck in old ways of doing business, it’s been like pulling teeth” to secure more unmanned planes from the air force, he said.

Mr Gates has prodded the air force since last year to add more Predators to the two war efforts but air force leaders have chafed at the pace of Predator pilot training requests, fearing that the rush would leave the force unqualified.

Mr Gates, however, has pressed on in his commitment to the Predators.