U.S. President Barack Obama is reportedly considering the sale of armed aerial drones to allied and friendly countries. 

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Drones are remote controlled aircraft the U.S. uses for surveillance and combat missions. The U.S. widely uses armed aerial drones to assassinate Islamic terrorists in the Middle East and Africa.

The announcement is seen as a significant policy shift that will benefit both U.S. allies and weapon manufacturers. Friendly countries will have the opportunity to stock up on sophisticated drone technology. 

American defense contractors, on the other hand, will also be given a larger market to sell their drones.

Aside from the United States, only a few countries have the capability to manufacture aerial drones. These countries include the United Kingdom, Israel, Iran and China. Several countries like Pakistan and India are currently working on their own drone technology.

Officially, the United Kingdom is the only country permitted to buy armed drones from the United States. NATO allies like Italy and France have so far received unarmed drones. China and Israel are currently selling their drones to other countries.

The sale of U.S. military drones, especially armed ones, to other foreign countries will be on a case-to-case basis. The U.S. Congress will have to approve the sale if the cost of the deal is significant enough. 

White House officials, however, assured prospective buyers that the approval time frame will be a matter of months, not years.

The U.S. will also issue strict rules with regards to the use of the military drones. The buying country will have to comply with certain conditions.

The buyer will have to promise the drone will solely be use for self-defense or military actions, in compliance with international law. The drones must not be used against the country's own citizens.

According to an unclassified policy document, the drones must never be used "to conduct unlawful surveillance or unlawful force against their domestic populations."

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