Drone Threats: an issue we have to answer

Coach is Right ^ | June 23rd, 2012 | Jim Emerson

[darkwing104]

Christof Heyns, a United Nations investigator has accused the United States of targeted killing of Al-Qaeda terrorists using unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) thereby violating International Law, and in some cases, committing war crimes. Mr. Heyns’ biggest concern that successful use of drones to kill terrorists wouldencourage nations to acquire and use armed drones to target innocent civilians. International concerns over the use of armed drones came to the fore earlier this week when China and Russia complained to the UN Human Rights Council demanding it condemn drone attacks. These countries are condemning Armed UAV out of concerns that drone strikes could damage their assets in Syria.

The use of drones to track and kill terrorists in Pakistan have raised concerns they could be used to target terrorists outside of a war zones, where they run and hide to escape reprisal. Under the banner of “Human Rights” this leftist along with the ACLU would like to create new international laws and UN oversight of armed drones. If it is anything like the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency it will be about as useless as an 18 year old rookie Mall Cop.

Recruitment Tool

Former head of the CIA’s counter-terrorism center, Robert Grenier is warning the President Obama’s use of UAVs in targeting terrorist is far “ too indiscriminate in hitting targets and could lead to such political instability that it creates terrorist safe havens.” The use of Predators to remotely kill terrorist is very easy and seductive, and if the White House over use this weapon the unintended consequences will diminish the use of the weapon in future operations. The drones are the reason for recruiting terrorist; America’s very existence is more than enough reason for the terrorist organizations to exist...

[darkwing104]

[sr4402]

Oh No! We can't have armed drones killing terrorists before they kill our women and children. The terrorists must be allowed to kill civilians as much as they want.

Perhaps the Taliban can run some more planes into buildings, plant a dirty bombs, or even spread some nice biological weapons.

Of course we have to support the Terrorists in the Mainstream Media, this Progressive Administration and the UN. It's our sacred duty to Islam.

/Sarcasm OFF

[seowulf]

Didn’t I just read last week about the EPA using UAV drones to spy on Kansas cattle ranchers?

How long before one of them unloads a Hellfire on some Kansas farmhouse?

[expat2]

Soon, we will have ‘fighter drones’ dogfighting with enemy drones in the sky.

[expat2]

And surface-to-air anti-drone missiles.

[darkwing104]

From the article...

The technology used in UAVs is becoming cheaper and more powerful to be used by civilian agencies in the United States for various roles. Unarmed Aerial drone use by law enforcement agencies has some positive uses such as search and rescue, tracking criminals and border patrol. The downside of the easy availability of drones is that they are a threat to our Civil Liberties. Recent news agencies have reported that domestic drones have been used against Americans.

Sen. Rand Paul R-KY is aware of government agencies possibly misusing unmanned drones to snoop on the daily lives of Americans with little or no accountability has introduced legislation, Preserving Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act of 2012 that would compel Police Forces and other agencies to obtain a warrant before using drones within the United States.

[darkwing104]

For the small domestic drones I recomend one of these

[Romulus]

They must have been terrorists or they wouldn’t have been killed —right?

Conservatives rooting for drone ubiquity in the new security state will regret their naive support. It will be too late.

[varmintman]

I'm fairly good with shotguns and I have friends who are extremely good with them and there's basically no chance in the world of anybody ever hitting any sort of a surveillance drone with a shotgun.

The good news is that you can put your own drone together for around $200 - 400 USD and if you thought about it hard enough, you could probably figure a way to get one of yours to shoot down one of theirs. The youtube search starts with "FPV"...

[varmintman]

One other thing, you're never going to even kill a duck with any sort of a home defense gun like that. Here's what a basic real shotgun looks like:

[nascarnation]

there's basically no chance in the world of anybody ever hitting any sort of a surveillance drone with a shotgun.

What altitude do these things fly at?

Are they fairly high up and depend on strong optics?

[varmintman]

They could fly at any altitude they like within reason. A shotgun on the other hand has an extreme accurate range of around 80 - 100 yards, and that’s if the target is moving slowly, and to compound things, there is no such thing as using a sight of any sort with a shotgun. The analogies are with baseball and tennis and not with any other shooting sport. As is the case with a bat or racquet, the gun becomes a part of your body and you watch the target, not the gun.

[nascarnation]

So we’re gonna need a home version of the Phalanx.

God help us if the radar locks on to somebody’s Piper Cub....

[varmintman]

Try this for starters. This amounts to an airplane which could be bought from hobbyking.com for around $65 and another hundred and fifty or so in TV and camera gear which is at any sort of risk in the plane:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2tEFT1Fils

[nascarnation]

looks like fun stuff

thanks

[varmintman]

The basic airplane without the FPV equipment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTeADKVrpPg&feature=related