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Spy drones in demand by U.S.
police departments, but approval pending
Tom Brown
Reuters
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Miami police could soon use cutting-edge flying drones to
help fight crime.
A small pilotless vehicle manufactured by Honeywell International,
capable of hovering and "staring" using electro-optic
or infrared sensors, is expected to be introduced soon in the
skies over the Florida Everglades.
If use of the drone wins U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
approval after tests, the Miami-Dade Police Department will start
flying the 14 pound, or 6.35 kilogram, drone over urban areas
with an eye toward full-fledged employment in crime fighting.
"Our intentions are to use it only in tactical situations
as an extra set of eyes," said Detective Juan Villalba, a
police department spokesman.
(Article continues below)
"We intend to use this to benefit us in carrying out our
mission," he added, saying the wingless Honeywell aircraft,
which fits into a backpack and is capable of vertical takeoff
and landing, seems ideally suited for use by SWAT teams in hostage
situations or dealing with "barricaded subjects."
And the Miami-Dade police are not alone. Taking their lead from
the U.S. military, which has used drones in Iraq and Afghanistan
for years, law enforcement agencies across the United States have
voiced a growing interest in using drones for domestic crime-fighting
missions.
Known in the aerospace industry as unmanned aerial vehicles,
or UAVs, drones have been under development for decades in the
United States.
Full
article here.
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