FAA to create 6 drone test sites in US

The Washington Guardian ^ | 2/15/2013 | Joan Lowy

[mykroar]

WASHINGTON (AP)

[mykroar]

"Today's announcement by the FAA is an important milestone on the path toward unlocking the potential of unmanned aircraft and creating thousands of American jobs," said Michael Toscano, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

Wasn't it all of yesterday that they said this wasn't going to happen?

[TADSLOS]

The FAA said none would be armed, which is laughable.

[jsanders2001]

Uh huh. All they need now is an automated system to fly the drones. I think SkyNet would be a good name. What could possibly go wrong?.../s

[Mouton]

I wonder if his excellency, who forced the Marines to remove the bolts from their rifles in the Inaugeration Parade is aware of possible armed drones flying about and over his motorcades.

[TADSLOS]

That automated system already exists.

[EricT.]

I wonder what it would take to bring one of these down?

[stuartcr]

A willingness to go to jail for a long time...

[winodog]

That’s a great point. Sometime soon if not already, the SS will want eyes in the sky armed and ready to unleash hell
on anyone who is deemed a threat.

President postturtle has no choice but to trust SS agents with loaded guns near him so I suspect he will have to abide with an armed drone over his possee.

I wonder how he feels about having guns that near him, especially if he does evil things in the White House as I suspect. Someday an SS agent may decide he is stopping the next hitler.

I would not sleep well.

[Seizethecarp]

“That’s a great point. Sometime soon if not already, the SS will want eyes in the sky armed and ready to unleash hell
on anyone who is deemed a threat.”

I suspect that the SS is already using the ARGUS equipped armed drone shown at 0:26 in the video at this link:

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

[Sequoyah101]

“The sheriff’s department hasn’t armed its drone, although the ShadowHawk can be equipped with a 40 mm grenade launcher and a 12-guage shotgun. The prospect of armed drones patrolling U.S. skies has alarmed some lawmakers and their constituents. More than a dozen bills have been introduced in Congress and state legislatures to curb drone use and protect privacy.”

[itsahoot]

the SS will want eyes in the sky armed and ready to unleash hell on anyone who is deemed a threat.

Hobbyists are putting these drones in the sky already. Here is a video of a quad roter drone armed with a machine gun that looks like any one could make.

[TADSLOS]

More than a dozen bills have been introduced in Congress and state legislatures to curb drone use and protect privacy.”

All of which can and will be ignored by Emperor Barky in the name of homeland security.

[Seizethecarp]

That particular video was debunked on FR ( can’t find the thread at the moment) as a clever hoax (the upside down receiver was not functional) but it did provide a visual of likely future mini-drone capabilities.

[itsahoot]

it did provide a visual of likely future mini-drone capabilities.

Yep. Science fiction becomes fact a lot quicker today than it did 50 years ago.

Nova had a show a couple weeks ago, "Rise of the Drones" worth watching. I never watch PBS but some one alerted me to that show.

[Mouton]

“Someday an SS agent may decide he is stopping the next hitler.” or the pilot of AF1.

[EricT.]

When they are eventually armed (and they will be), we should all consider them a clear and present danger.

The sooner we figure out how to take down SkyNet’s killer drones, the better. This isn’t what free people in a free nation should have to worry about.

Again, it may not be today or next week, but it’s coming whether you like it or not.

[stuartcr]

Good luck with that.