Armed Drones in the US? for your safty like afghanistan?

[revelarts]

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/05/23/groups-concerned-over-arming-of-domestic-drones/

WASHINGTON (CBSDC) – With the use of domestic drones increasing, concern has not just come up over privacy issues, but also over the potential use of lethal force by the unmanned aircraft.
Drones have been used overseas to target and kill high-level terror leaders and are also being used along the U.S.-Mexico border in the battle against illegal immigration. But now, these drones are starting to be used domestically at an increasing rate.
The Federal Aviation Administration has allowed several police departments to use drones across the U.S. They are controlled from a remote location and use infrared sensors and high-resolution cameras.
Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas told The Daily that his department is considering using rubber bullets and tear gas on its drone.
“Those are things that law enforcement utilizes day in and day out and in certain situations it might be advantageous to have this type of system on the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle),” McDaniel told The Daily.
The use of potential force from drones has raised the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“It’s simply not appropriate to use any of force, lethal or non-lethal, on a drone,” Catherine Crump, staff attorney for the ACLU, told CBSDC.
Crump feels one of the biggest problems with the use of drones is the remote location where they are operated from.

“When the officer is on the scene, they have full access to info about what has transpired there,” Crump explained to CBSDC. “An officer at a remote location far away does not have the same level of access.”
The ACLU is also worried about potential drones malfunctioning and falling from the sky, adding that they are keeping a close eye on the use of these unmanned aircraft by police departments.
“We don’t need a situation where Americans feel there is in an invisible eye in the sky,” Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst at ACLU, told CBSDC.
Joshua Foust, fellow at the American Security Project, feels domestic drones should not be armed.
“I think from a legal perspective, there is nothing problematic about floating a drone over a city,” Foust told CBSDC. “In terms of getting armed drones, I would be very nervous about that happening right now.”
McDaniel says that his community should not be worried about the department using a drone.
“We’ve never gone into surveillance for sake of surveillance unless there is criminal activity afoot,” McDaniel told The Daily. “Just to see what you’re doing in your backyard pool — we don’t care.”
But the concern for the ACLU is just too great that an American’s constitutional rights will be trampled with the use of drones.
“The prospect of people out in public being Tased or targeted by force by flying drones where no officers is physically present on the scene,” Crump says, “raises the prospect of unconstitutional force being used on individuals.”

[logroller]

I found myself looking up at the sky while reading this:laugh:

[ConHog]

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/05/23/groups-concerned-over-arming-of-domestic-drones/

WASHINGTON (CBSDC) – With the use of domestic drones increasing, concern has not just come up over privacy issues, but also over the potential use of lethal force by the unmanned aircraft.
Drones have been used overseas to target and kill high-level terror leaders and are also being used along the U.S.-Mexico border in the battle against illegal immigration. But now, these drones are starting to be used domestically at an increasing rate.
The Federal Aviation Administration has allowed several police departments to use drones across the U.S. They are controlled from a remote location and use infrared sensors and high-resolution cameras.
Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas told The Daily that his department is considering using rubber bullets and tear gas on its drone.
“Those are things that law enforcement utilizes day in and day out and in certain situations it might be advantageous to have this type of system on the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle),” McDaniel told The Daily.
The use of potential force from drones has raised the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“It’s simply not appropriate to use any of force, lethal or non-lethal, on a drone,” Catherine Crump, staff attorney for the ACLU, told CBSDC.
Crump feels one of the biggest problems with the use of drones is the remote location where they are operated from.

“When the officer is on the scene, they have full access to info about what has transpired there,” Crump explained to CBSDC. “An officer at a remote location far away does not have the same level of access.”
The ACLU is also worried about potential drones malfunctioning and falling from the sky, adding that they are keeping a close eye on the use of these unmanned aircraft by police departments.
“We don’t need a situation where Americans feel there is in an invisible eye in the sky,” Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst at ACLU, told CBSDC.
Joshua Foust, fellow at the American Security Project, feels domestic drones should not be armed.
“I think from a legal perspective, there is nothing problematic about floating a drone over a city,” Foust told CBSDC. “In terms of getting armed drones, I would be very nervous about that happening right now.”
McDaniel says that his community should not be worried about the department using a drone.
“We’ve never gone into surveillance for sake of surveillance unless there is criminal activity afoot,” McDaniel told The Daily. “Just to see what you’re doing in your backyard pool — we don’t care.”
But the concern for the ACLU is just too great that an American’s constitutional rights will be trampled with the use of drones.
“The prospect of people out in public being Tased or targeted by force by flying drones where no officers is physically present on the scene,” Crump says, “raises the prospect of unconstitutional force being used on individuals.”

Your thread title is a lie, there are no armed drones flying in the US.

[logroller]

Your thread title is a lie, there are no armed drones flying in the US.

It was phrased as a question. So I wouldn't say it was a lie; just speculation. I really don't see what the big deal is though. Many Modern aircraft are fly-by-wire. If the computers failed, they'd fall from the sky too. Doesnt seem to happen though.

[fj1200]

Your thread title is a lie, there are no armed drones flying in the US.

It was a question, not a lie.

I can however see a '24' plot line coming out of this.

[revelarts]

Your thread title is a lie, there are no armed drones flying in the US.

Are you sure. But as Fj and Log point out, it's just a question.
And the article says this
"Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas told The Daily that his department is considering using rubber bullets and tear gas on its drone. "

You don't consider tear gas and rubber bullets as armed? Can you say for sure other police depts haven't already done it? That'd be nice. Can you say that drones don't or won't have live rounds? what's to stop them?

And welll If people are breaking the law.... like speeding and what not. they should be stopped!!!
just saying.

[logroller]

Are you sure. But as Fj and Log point out, it's just a question.
And the article says this
"Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas told The Daily that his department is considering using rubber bullets and tear gas on its drone. "

You don't consider tear gas and rubber bullets as armed? Can you say for sure other police depts haven't already done it? That'd be nice. Can you say that drones don't or won't have live rounds? what's to stop them?

And welll If people are breaking the law.... like speeding and what not. they should be stopped!!!
just saying.
Ill never look at a 'speed enforced by aircraft' sign the same way again. Though, it Would be a new twist to the end of police chase videos.

[Dilloduck]

A white bronco--in flames---

[revelarts]

Is there a drone in your neighborhood? Rise of spy planes exposed after FAA is forced to reveal 63 launch sites across U.S.

Unmanned spy planes are being launched from locations in 20 states and owners include the military and universities


By Julian Gavaghan (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Julian+Gavaghan)
PUBLISHED: 05:15 EST, 24 April 2012 | UPDATED: 07:39 EST, 24 April 2012


Comments (103) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2134376/Is-drone-neighbourhood-Rise-killer-spy-planes-exposed-FAA-forced-reveal-63-launch-sites-U-S.html#comments)
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There are at least 63 active drone sites around the U.S, federal authorities have been forced to reveal following a landmark Freedom of Information lawsuit.
The unmanned planes – some of which may have been designed to kill terror suspects – are being launched from locations in 20 states.
Most of the active drones are deployed from military installations, enforcement agencies and border patrol teams, according to the Federal Aviation Authority.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/24/article-0-12BD6D73000005DC-24_964x651.jpg Exposed: Location of sites where licences have been granted for the use of drones within the U.S. There are 63 active sites based in 20 states. Red flags show active sites and blue show those locations where licences have expired since 2006

But, astonishingly, 19 universities and colleges are also registered as owners of what are officially known as unmanned aerial vehicles.
It is thought that many of institutions, which include Cornell, the University of Colorado, Georgia Tech, and Eastern Gateway Community College, are developing drone technology.


More...

Death from above: Video of drones fitted with machine guns that could transform the battlefields of the future (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2134024/FPSRussia-shows-flying-drone-fitted-machine-gun.html)
Strong border controls and a lack of jobs prompt mass emigration of illegal Mexicans from the U.S. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2134248/Strong-border-controls-threats-cartels-lack-jobs-prompting-Mexican-immigrants-leave-U-S.html)


There are also 21 mainstream manufactures, such as General Atomics, who are registered to use drones domestically.
As well as active locations, the FAA also revealed 16 sites where licences to use spy planes have expired and four where authorisations have been disapproved, such as Otter Tail County, Minnesota.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/24/article-0-12BD6D7D000005DC-411_964x621.jpg Unusual: The University of Connecticut - one of 19 educational institutions to own spy planes - is the drone site closest to New York City. The North East is the region with the highest concentration



http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/24/article-0-12BD6D85000005DC-311_964x687.jpg Concentration: The Beltway around Washington DC has the highest concentration of urban and suburban drone sites, including the U.S. Marine Corp base as Quantico Station, Virginia

The authority revealed the information after a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Electronic Frontier Foundation (https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/04/faa-releases-its-list-drone-certificates-leaves-many-questions-unanswered).
Its website hosts an interactive map that allows the user to zoom in to the area around where they live to see if any sites are nearby.
However, the FAA is yet to reveal what kinds of drones might be based at any of these locations.
The agency says it will release this data later.
Most of the drones are likely to be small craft, such as the Draganflyer X8, which can carry a payload of only 2.2lb.
Police, border patrols and environmental agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), could use for them effectively.
While few would object to vast open areas being monitored for wildfires, there are fears of privacy violations if drones are used to spy over cities.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/24/article-0-12BD6D95000005DC-489_964x789.jpg Florida: Mostly police and Sheriff departments are registered to use drones in the state


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/24/article-0-12BD6DA5000005DC-94_964x778.jpg Watch out Canada! Border agents are registered to use drone in North Dakota, just a few hundred miles from Winnipeg, Manitoba


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/24/article-0-12BD6DAB000005DC-259_964x632.jpg Remote: The University of Alaska's drones are the most distant from any major urban centres. They are, however, the closest to Russia


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/24/article-2134376-12BD6D9D000005DC-99_964x689.jpg Hotspot: Texas has one of the highest number of drone sites


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/24/article-2134376-12BD6D8E000005DC-725_964x667.jpg West Coast: There are comparatively few drone sites in California and Western states

Other drones – likely to be operated only by the armed forces – might include the MQ-9 Reaper and the MQ-1 Predator, which was used to kill American Al Qaeda boss Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen last September.
The FAA released two lists of public and private entities that have applied for authorisations to fly drones domestically.
Certificates of Authorizations (COAs), issued to public entities like police departments, are active in 42 locations, expired in 16 and disapproved in four.
Special Airworthiness Certificates (SACs), issued to private drone manufacturers, are active in 21 locations and not active in 17.
Among the other unanswered questions, however, are is exactly how many drones each registered user owns.


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/24/article-2134376-12BD7D62000005DC-511_964x480.jpg Killer: Some of the drones owned by the military might be the MQ-9 Reaper, which has been used to target terrorists overseas



http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/24/article-2134376-12BD79B7000005DC-236_964x520.jpg Watching you: Most of the drones are likely to be small craft, such as the Draganflyer X8, which can carry a payload of only 2.2lb. Police, border patrols and environmental agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), could use for them effectively

The FAA has confirmed that there were about 300 active COAs and that the agency has issued about 700-750 authorizations since the program began in 2006.
But this information does not reveal how many are owned, for example, by Miami Dade Police Department.
While the use of drones in the U.S. is little known, American operations overseas have been well documented.
As well as high-profile terrorists, campaigners claim hundreds of innocent civilians have been killed in the border regions of Pakistan, where they are most active.


SO WHICH PUBLIC ENTITIES ARE REGISTERED OWNERS OF DRONES? FULL LIST REVEALED HERE
U.S. Air Force Mississippi Department of Marine Resources

Arlington Police Department Mississippi State University
U.S. Army U.S. Navy
City of Herington, Kansas New Mexico Tech
City of North Little Rock, AR Police Department Ogden Police Department

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Ohio University
DHS (Department of Homeland Security) / CBP (Customs and Border Protection) Orange County Sheriff's Office
DHS (Department of Homeland Security) / Science and Technology Polk County Sheriff's Office
DOE (Department of Energy) - Idaho National Laboratory Seattle Police Dept
Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
Department of the Interior - National Business Center/Aviation Management Directorate Texas A&M University - TEES
Eastern Gateway Community College University of Alaska Fairbanks
Texas State University University of Colorado
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) University of Connecticut
Gadsden Police Department

Georgia Tech Research Institute University of Florida
Kansas State University University of North Dakota

USMC (United States Marine Corps)
Mesa County Sheriff's Office
Miami-Dade Police Department Utah State University
Middle Tennessee State University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
New Mexico State University Physical Sciences Laboratory (NMSU-PSL) Washington State Department of Transportation
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2134376/Is-drone-neighbourhood-Rise-killer-spy-planes-exposed-FAA-forced-reveal-63-launch-sites-U-S.html#ixzz1wH6EFgkr