In an Oct. 25, 2007 file photo a Predator drone UAVarrived at a U.S. Customs Border Patrol mission from Fort Huachuca in Arizona. The (FHA) Federal Aviation Administration was asked to issue flying rights for a range of “pilotless” planes to carry out civilian and law-enforcement functions but has been hesitant to act for safety reasons.
In August 2, 2012 NORTH DAKOTA US NEWS REPORT
Surprisingly enough, a North Dakota court has upheld the use of an (UAV) unmanned drone to assist in the arrest of an American citizen. District Judge Joel Medd wrote that “there was no improper use of an unmanned aerial vehicle” and that the drone “appears to have had no bearing on these charges being contested here,” according to the documents.”http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/08/02/court-upholds-domestic-drone-use-in-arrest-of-american-citizen
April 27, 2012 Seattle, Washington SEATTLE TIMES
“The Seattle Police Department’s drone doesn’t look like much of a threat in person. In fact, it looks like a toy.
In a warehouse where police vehicles are stored, Officer Reuben Omelanchuk on Friday demonstrated how the unmanned aerial vehicle hovers and flies.
“It’s very fun,” said Omelanchuk, who is one of department’s two officers trained to fly the vehicles. “But doing it safely can be stressful at times.”
The 3.5 pound Draganflyer X6 Helicopter Tech cost $41,000 and is operated with a handheld controller and two joysticks. It has cameras that take still pictures, videos and infrared shots that can be viewed live, but it has a battery life of less than 10 minutes.” http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2018090173_drones28m.html
According to the Seattle police Department the drones do have their limitations, at least for the moment.
“It can’t carry anything that weighs more than 35 ounces, and it also can’t be flown around people or over crowds.” ~Seattle Police Department
“The FAA has set strict guidelines for the use of drones in law enforcement, according to Lt. Greg Sackman, who runs the Police Department’s Arson/Bomb Squad and oversees the unmanned-vehicle program.FAA requirements state drones must be flown below 400 feet and remain within eyesight of an operator as well as an observer at all times.Further, for safety reasons, police cannot fly drones over an area with people, according to the FAA. In addition, Sackman said, the Police Department has drafted policies to prevent unauthorized, inappropriate or illegal use of the drones.” Seattle Times Report
July 26, 2012 Janet Napolitino
DHS wants to use spy drones domestically for ‘public safety’ shocks everyone that read the article.
http://rt.com/usa/news/dhs-drone-surveillance-napolitano-156/
“Sec. Napolitano weighed in on the topic of unmanned aerial vehicles during this week’s Committee on Homeland Security and suggested that implementing UAVs for domestic surveillance could the next step in the United States’ amazingly accelerating drone program.
The Federal Aviation Administration is currently considering ground rules that will outline how the FAA can govern domestic drone use, and by 2020 they expect to see 30,000 UAVs soaring through US airspace. Speaking before a House panel on Wednesday, though, Sec. Napolitano suggested that deploying UAVs proactively to put an extra set over locales nowhere near America’s border may in fact be the next move.” rt.com
- Military Drone At about a foot in diameter and 11kg/ 25 pounds fully fueled, the RQ-16 T-Hawk is noticeably bulkier than mini-UAVs like the RQ-11 Raven. The ducted fan air MAV (Micro Air Vehicle)/ T-Hawk flies like a helicopter, using a specially designed fan enclosed in a duct that is driven by a a 3 KW/4 hp 3W-56 56cc Bower Twin piston gasoline engine. The fan draws air in through the top of the duct and expels it out the bottom to provide thrust.
Sep 19, 2012 The Defense Industry Daily
“The USA’s Future Combat Systems Class I UAV is intended for reconnaissance, security and target acquisition operations in nearly all terrain, including urban environments. Each system of 2 vertical take-off and landing air vehicles, a dismounted control device, and associated ground support equipment. They can be carried by selected platforms and dismounted soldiers, and possess autonomous flight, navigation, and recovery.
The larger Class II and Class III UAV development programs were canceled in favor of existing options: the RQ-7 Shadow, and MQ-1C SkyWarrior. The planned Class IV MQ-8B Fire Scout was canceled by the Army in 2009, though it will see naval use. Despite excellent field reports for mini-UAV competitors like the RQ-11 Raven, however, Honeywell’s hovering RQ-16 “T-Hawk” initially avoided the axe, found a niche, and made the list for the US Army’s earlyincrement 1 Brigade Combat Team Modernization fielding. It has even seen limited exports – but the Class I program has been canceled.” Read more here : http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/one-small-step-for-a-uav-one-big-step-for-fcs-class-i-01372/#mav
Oct 24, 2012
On Jan 3/08, the US DSCA announced [PDF] the United Kingdom’s official request for:
“10 MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) aircraft, 5 Ground Control Stations, 9 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems (MTS-B/AAS-52), 9 AN/APY-8 Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI) systems, 3 Satellite Earth Terminal Sub Stations (SETSS), 30 H764 Embedded Global Positioning System Inertial Navigation Systems, Lynx SAR and MTS-B spares, engineering support, test equipment, ground support, operational flight test support, communications equipment, technical assistance, personnel training/equipment, spare and repair parts, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $1.071 billion.”
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I’m with you these drones are alive and well in northern MN. I currently seem to have been placed under 24 hour survalience. This has me scratching my head seeing I have not even talked to a cop in 12 years or so. Worse yet these drones have the ability to shoot enormous holograms of anything they want. So far I have seen monster like mutations camouflaged in the trees to goofy looking comic like people flicking me off! Theses images are only viewable in pictures I take of the drones. I know this sounds like a story but it gets worse yet at work they continue to monitor me threw any window they can and as I work they cast a small hologram of a fly or mosquito just in view and then gone about once every 5 minuets. I’m sure the hard working citizens of MN. Would be outraged if they knew how there taxes were geting spent on annoying another hard working MN guy who’s just finishing drywall for his bread and butter. I know this is a lot to swallow but I swear and can prove its the truth with pictures, these things need to be stopped its not a good feeling when you know your beng watched.