A highly placed Sri Lankan defence official told the Daily Mirror that unofficial discussions had taken place in this regard between the US and Sri Lanka although an official request or invitation to attend such a conference in the US had not been received.

The Reuters news agency quoting the U.S. Pacific Command yesterday said the conference tentatively planned for April in Hawaii would discuss an informal regional grouping to support the high-flying, remotely piloted Global Hawk built by Northrop Grumman.“Our intent is to involve as many nations as possible in whatever capacity they want to be involved,” the command's air component said in e-mailed replies to questions from Reuters.

Global Hawk entered service after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. It is designed to survey vast areas with near pinpoint accuracy from as high as 65,000 feet for up to 35 hours. The data can be fed from the $27.6 million aircraft nearly instantly to commanders on the ground.

With its advanced radar, optical and infrared sensors, it will become a key U.S. intelligence asset in Asia and the Pacific when it starts flying from Andersen Air Force Base on Guam in 2009.

Partner countries could allow alternative landing and launch sites for the Global Hawk.

The United States is initially pitching the Global Hawk consortium idea to Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Brunei and Sri Lanka, the Reuters news report said.

Capt. Kristen Miller, a spokeswoman for Pacific Air Forces headquartered at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, said the list of invited countries could grow later. Gen. Paul Hester, who heads U.S. Pacific Air Forces, told reporters in Washington last week he hoped to bring Global Hawk to the region next year to demonstrate its capabilities.

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