was looking for a section on drones but the threads are all over.. ;D ..so here's another one
http://news.msn.com/us/cities-and-states-move-to-restrict-ban-drones (http://news.msn.com/us/cities-and-states-move-to-restrict-ban-drones)
Cities and states move to restrict, ban drones
(http://i72.servimg.com/u/f72/13/55/53/83/_h353_10.jpg)
vanguarddefense.comA ShadowHawk drone made by Vanguard Defense. The remote-controlled aircraft has been cited as one type of drone that concerns activists in Lawrence, Kan
A number of municipalities and states across the country are acting on residents' concerns and considering banning the use of drones by private citizens.
A ShadowHawk drone made by Vanguard Defense. The remote-controlled aircraft has been cited as one type of drone that concerns activists in Lawrence, Kan.
Community activists in a Kansas city have called on local political leaders to legislate against the use of privately owned drones, making it one of a growing number of American towns where residents and lawmakers are considering limiting remote-controlled aircraft.
Leaders from five groups near Lawrence, Kan., recently sent a letter to the city commission asking it to "to put in place safeguards ensuring that civil liberties are protected as domestic drones become more common in the coming years," the Washington Times reported.
Related: How is US drone policy shifting?
Among the safeguards the group mentioned are a ban on drones carrying weapons and a moratorium on all drone use until stricter guidelines can be created.
Leaders from one of the concerned groups, the Douglas County Republican Party, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to Federal Aviation Administration estimates, there could be as many as 10,000 privately owned drones in U.S. airspace by 2020, a possibility that makes some Americans shudder. Increasingly, opponents have been organizing and contacting legislators about creating restrictions before thousands more drones take to the skies and potentially collect information on residents below.
Related: Florida town considers using drones to fight mosquitos
According to Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the American Civil Liberties Union, the new local and state laws are an outgrowth of citizens' concerns about drones across the country. "One of the beautiful things about our system of government is that people can take action on a federal, state and local level," he said.
"Between drones — which have created an upsurge in state and local activity — and the NSA scandals," Stanley said, "the polls have shown a deep concern around the country. "It seems we are seeing a new awareness of privacy around the country today."
Here are some of the towns, cities and states that have considered or enacted anti-drone legislation:
Deer Trail, Colo.
Earlier this month, the town board split on an ordinance that would allow Deer Trail residents to shoot down drones in exchange for a $100 cash reward. Residents will now vote on the measure in a special election on Oct. 7.
Charlottesville, Va.
In February, Charlottesville passed an anti-drone resolution that endorsed a two-year moratorium on drones in the area and called on Congress and the Virginia General Assembly to prohibit federal and state courts from allowing the introduction of information obtained from domestic drones.
Iowa City, Iowa
In June, Iowa City banned the use of drones within city limits.
St. Bonifacius, Minn.
St. Bonifacius banned the use of drones in its airspace in April.
Texas
The Texas Legislature passed a bill in May that criminalizes the use of drones by individuals to conduct surveillance.
Nationwide, more than 40 states have enacted legislation that regulates drones, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/18-Aug-2013/in-peru-drones-used-for-agriculture-archaeology (http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/18-Aug-2013/in-peru-drones-used-for-agriculture-archaeology)
In Peru, drones used for agriculture, archaeology
August 18, 2013
Luis Jaime CISNEROS
(http://i72.servimg.com/u/f72/13/55/53/83/in-per10.jpg)
For news details visit : http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/18-Aug-2013/in-peru-drones-used-for-agriculture-archaeology (http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/18-Aug-2013/in-peru-drones-used-for-agriculture-archaeology)
For news details Read on : In Peru, drones used for agriculture, archaeology
Drones are most often associated with assassinations in remote regions of Pakistan and Yemen but in Peru, unmanned aircraft are being used to monitor crops and study ancient ruins.
Forget Reapers and Predators - the drones used here are hand-held contraptions that look like they were assembled in a garage with gear from a hardware store. They are equipped with a microcomputer, a GPS tracker, a compass, cameras and an altimeter, and can be easily programmed by using Google Maps to fly autonomously and return to base with vital data.
"These aircraft are small in size, are equipped with high-precision video or photo cameras and go virtually unnoticed in the sky," said Andres Flores, an electrical engineer in charge of the UAV program at Peru's Catholic University.
Flores heads a multidisciplinary team brainstorming the best ways to use drones for civilian purposes. "Up to now we have managed to use them for agricultural purposes, where they gather information on the health of the plants, and in archaeology, to better understand the characteristics of each site and their extensions," Flores said.
One UAV model built by Catholic University engineers is made with light balsa wood and carbon fibber. At a glance the devices look like souped-up hand-held glider.
One limitation is that these drones must fly below the clouds. If not their instruments, especially the cameras, could fail, said Aurelio Rodriguez, who is both an aerial model-maker and archaeologist.
Mapping Ancient Cities
Some of the earliest human settlements in the Americas are found in Peru. There are thousands of archaeological sites, many unexplored, dotting the Peruvian landscape, most of them pre-dating the Incas, a major civilization which was defeated by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century.
Along the dry coastline, where the main construction material was adobe brick, whole societies flourished. After centuries of abandon some of these ancient cities have deteriorated to the point that they are hard to distinguish in the sandy, hilly region.
Archaeologist Luis Jaime Castillo is using drones to help map the 1,300 year-old Moche civilization around San Idelfonso and San Jose del Moro, two sites on the Peruvian coast north of Lima.
"We can convert the images that the drones provide into topographical and photogrammetry data to build three-dimensional models," Castillo told AFP. "By using the pictures taken by drones we can see walls, patios, the fabric of the city."
Separately, Hildo Loayza, a physicist with the Lima-based International Potato Center, is perfecting ways to apply drone technology to agriculture. "The drones allow us to resolve problems objectively, while people do it subjectively," he told AFP.
"In agriculture drones allow us to observe a larger cultivation area and estimate the health of the plants and the growth of the crops. The cameras aboard the drones provide us with 500 pieces of high-technology data, while with the human eye one can barely collect ten," Loayza said.
Precise, high-quality images allow experts to measure the amount of sunlight the plants are getting, and study plant problems like stress from heat, drought or lack of nutrients, he said.
Other potential civilian drone use, Flores said, includes closely observing areas of natural disasters or studying urban traffic patterns.
In the thick Amazon jungle, where access by ground is often extremely difficult, drones can be used to study wild animals. "Every time an animal goes by, it can snap a picture," said Flores.
There are no laws in Peru regulating the civilian use of drones, which allows advocates to push for all kinds of projects. Their use in urban surveillance, however, could be seen as an invasion of privacy. While experts are still dreaming up new ways to use the aircraft, security officials do use drones for military and police intelligence purposes, especially in Peru's rugged and remote valleys where coca - the source plant for cocaine - is grown.–AFP
dang.. i had to come back and point this out..
i was really expecting someone to pick up on this..it's hysterical
Deer Trail, Colo.
Earlier this month, the town board split on an ordinance that would allow Deer Trail residents to
shoot down drones in exchange for a $100 cash reward.
Residents will now vote on the measure in a special election on Oct. 7.
proves no body reads anything longer than two sentences'' ;D :P
well SKY I did see the "drone" thread but thought MEH another drone topic
but actually this is a good one ;)
maybe if the title had been "$100 reward for Drone shot down" I may of peeped in LOL
GOLD for your bringing it to my attention.
well dang , stealthy ..maybe we can talk someone into it...great idea
anyone of you mods want a little job?
to please take stealthy suggestion and change the title of this thread
thanks to whom ever
;D
Quote from: stealthyaroura on August 21, 2013, 11:43:09 PM
maybe if the title had been "$100 reward for Drone shot down" I may of peeped in LOL
GOLD for your bringing it to my attention.
THIS is whay news media uses sensational headlines :D
This is also why it is usually best just to post highlights from an article that are note worthy instead of the whole "just another drone report"
::)
I like Deer Trail's idea. 8)
Shasta
QuoteThis is also why it is usually best just to post highlights from an article that are note worthy instead of the whole "just another drone report"
ohhh sighhhh.. you are probably more than correct oh migthy Z
but damn it i hate being spoon fed one or two lousy sentences from somewhere that someone
else thinks is the important part.. :(
so i post like i read..everything ::)
with the idea that maybe someone will read the whole blasted thing and come up with either a better understanding or just a good laugh
i will try to edit as best i can in the future..but it goes against a lot of years...sigh
::) :-[
Here we go... We knew it was going to happen :DEXCLUSIVE: Small drone crash lands in ManhattanQuoteEyewitness News
NEW YORK (WABC) -- A small helicopter drone flying high above buildings on the East side of Manhattan crash landed just feet away from a businessman during the Monday evening rush hour.
The drone is small but the FAA says it should not have been flying hundreds of feet above a crowded Manhattan sidewalk.
The businessman who almost took a direct hit from the unmanned device, recovered its video card from the debris and then reached out to us.
The video from the crashed drone shows it taking off from a high-rise terrace in Midtown Manhattan on Monday. It's evening rush hour and below thousands of New Yorkers are heading home, unaware that 20 to 30 stories above them, a small, 3-pound radio-controlled helicopter with a camera is flying overhead.
"Choosing their own personal enjoyment over any of the consequences," a businessman, who asked not to be identified, told us.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news%2Finvestigators&id=9270668
Wait till the big ones start falling :P
als dded this to thread titled
they know what you are doing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHrZgS-Gvi4
Published on Jan 31, 2013
Rise Of The Drones: http://video.pbs.org/video/2326108547
A new camera developed by the Pentagon's research arm was highlighted in a recent special on PBS' "Nova" in an episode called "Rise of the Drones." It's a camera system so detailed it can discern specific movements and even what a subject is wearing.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA's) Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System (ARGUS) has 1.8 billion pixels (1.8 gigapixels), making it the world' highest resolution camera. The sensors on the camera are so precise, PBS stated it is the equivalent to the capabilities of 100 Predator drones in a medium city.
In the clip from PBS, it is said this is the first time the government has allowed information to be shared about these capabilities.
"It is important for the public to know that some of these capabilities exist," Yiannis Antonaides with contractor BAE Systems said in the clip, but noted the sensor itself cannot be revealed. "Because we are not allowed to expose some of the pieces that make up this sensor, so you get to look a pretty plastic curtains."
The technology allows the user to open up a specific windows of interest in the camera's view while still keeping up an image of the larger picture (sort of like split screen). Antonaides explained that the colored boxes in the image show that the sensor recognized moving objects. "You can see individuals crossing the street. You can see individuals walking in parking lots. There's actually enough resolution to see the people waving their arms or walking around or what kind of clothes they wear," he said. PBS noted that ARGUS can actually see much more details than just attire. It can see objects as small as six inches. At 2:23 in the clip, Antonaides points out that from 17,500 feet, a white object in the field of view is a bird flying. PBS pointed out that DARPA put a time crunch on creating the camera, which lead Antonaides to look into technology that you probably have in your purse or pocket at this very moment. Taking similar imaging systems used in smartphones and putting 368 together, is essentially how Antonaides and other engineers at BAE Systems created ARGUS. It is this "mosaic" of cameras that allows the system to zoom in on specific sections in extreme detail. As for data, the system stores up to 1 million terabytes a day. Putting this into perspective, PBS notes this is equal to 5,000 hours of HD footage.
"You can go back and say 'I would like to know what happened at this particular location three days, two hours, four minutes ago' and it would actually show you what happened as if you were watching it live," Antonaides said.
It is still classified information whether ARGUS has been used in the field yet.
"If we had our choice, we would like ARGUS to be over the same area 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That's not very achievable with manned platforms. This is where UAVs come in and they're absolutely the perfect platform," Antonaides said.
President Barack Obama's authorization of military aid to the Syrian rebels "dramatically" increases U.S. support for the opposition, the White House said Friday, while acknowledging that it will take time for the supplies to reach fighters struggling in their clashes with Syrian President Bashar Assad.
U.S. officials said the new aid would include weapons and ammunition and comes in response to firmer evidence from the White House of chemical weapons use by Assad's regime.
"There's already material that's been flowing to the opposition and that will continue in the weeks to come," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser.
Obama has said the use of chemical weapons would cross a "red line," suggesting greater American intervention. While a small percentage of the 93,000 people reportedly killed in Syria are said to have died from chemical weapons — U.S. intelligence puts the number at 100 to 150 — the White House views the deployment of the deadly agents as a flouting of international norms.
Rhodes said Obama made the decision to authorize military aid to the rebels over the past few weeks. He also defended the president's caution on the issue, saying "these are not steps the president takes lightly."
AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
President Barack Obama gestures as he answers... View Full Size
The History of Syria in 60 Seconds Watch Video
White House Confirms Syria's Use of Chemical Weapons Watch Video
Category News & Politics
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http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/06/us/submarine-drone-launch/
U.S. successfully launches drone from submerged submarine
By Mariano Castillo, CNN
updated 9:32 AM EST, Fri December 6, 2013
(http://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/13/55/53/83/13120610.jpg)
Deployed from the submerged submarine USS Providence, an unmanned aircraft is vertically launched
(CNN) -- The evolution of drones continues.
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory on Thursday announced it successfully launched a drone from a submerged submarine.
The technology is being pursued to give sailors additional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance abilities.
Some of the funding for the project came from SwampWorks, a program of the Office of Naval Research that focuses on innovative and cutting-edge technologies.
"Developing disruptive technologies and quickly getting them into the hands of our sailors is what our SwampWorks program is all about," said Craig A. Hughes, acting director of innovation at Office of Naval Research. "This demonstration really underpins ONR's dedication and ability to address emerging fleet priorities."
Your personal $849 underwater 'drone'
The drone, or unmanned aerial system, was launched from a torpedo tube on the USS Providence, the Navy said in a news release.
The drone itself was inside a launch vehicle called the Sea Robin that fit inside the torpedo tube.
Once launched, the Sea Robin made its way to the ocean surface and, upon command, the drone itself launched from there, the Navy said.
The drone, powered with electric fuel cells, then flew for hours, streaming live video back to Navy officials.
Unlike other projects that can take decades to produce results, the technology to launch a drone from a submerged submarine took just six years from concept to demonstration, the Navy said.
"This six-year effort represents the best in collaboration of a Navy laboratory and industry to produce a technology that meets the needs of the special operations community," said Warren Schultz, program developer and manager at the Naval Research Laboratory. "The creativity and resourcefulness brought to this project by a unique team of scientists and engineers represents an unprecedented paradigm shift in UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) propulsion and launch systems."
U.S. Navy launches stealth sub http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/31/us/uss-zumwalt-capt-kirk/index.html
Northrop Secretly Builds RQ-180 Spy Drone(http://images.defensetech.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/X-47B_over_coastline.jpg)
QuoteWhat's more, satellite imagery shows new infrastructure such as hangars to accommodate an aircraft with a wing span of more than 130 feet at Northrop's Palmdale, Calif., site and at the Air Force's Area 51 test center in Groom Lake, Nev., according to the report.
That would make it much bigger than Lockheed Martin Corp.'s RQ-170 Sentinel, which has an estimated wingspan of between 65 feet and 90 feet.
http://defensetech.org/2013/12/06/northrop-secretly-builds-rq-180-spy-drone/ (http://defensetech.org/2013/12/06/northrop-secretly-builds-rq-180-spy-drone/)
EXCLUSIVE: Secret New UAS Shows Stealth, Efficiency AdvancesQuote
The RQ-180 carries radio-frequency sensors such as active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and passive electronic surveillance measures, according to one defense official. It could also be capable of electronic attack missions.
This aircraft's design is key for the shift of Air Force ISR assets away from "permissive" environments—such as Iraq and Afghanistan, where Northrop Grumman's non-stealthy Global Hawk and General Atomics' Reaper operate—and toward operations in "contested" or "denied" airspace. The new UAS underpins the Air Force's determination to retire a version of the RQ-4B Global Hawk after 2014, despite congressional resistance. The RQ-180 eclipses the smaller, less stealthy and shorter-range RQ-170 Sentinel.
If the previous patterns for secret ISR aircraft operations are followed, the new UAV will be jointly controlled by the Air Force and the CIA, with the program managed by the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office and flight operations sustained by the Air Force. This arrangement has been used for the RQ-170, which is operated by the Air Force's 30th Reconnaissance Sqdn., according to a fact sheet the Air Force released after one of the aircraft turned up in Iran.
http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_12_06_2013_p0-643783.xml (http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_12_06_2013_p0-643783.xml)
I wonder if they'll again assume the enemy won't be intelligent enough to exploit the technology so no need for hacking security features. :P
Just in time for x-mas...having trouble finding that perfect gift for your loved one? How about a hijacked DRONE? :P
QuoteUsing a Parrot AR.Drone 2, a Raspberry Pi, a USB battery, an Alfa AWUS036H wireless transmitter, aircrack-ng, node-ar-drone, node.js, and my SkyJack software, I developed a drone that flies around, seeks the wireless signal of any other drone in the area, forcefully disconnects the wireless connection of the true owner of the target drone, then authenticates with the target drone pretending to be its owner, then feeds commands to it and all other possessed zombie drones at my will.
SkyJack also works when grounded as well, no drone is necessary on your end for it to work. You can simply run it from your own Linux machine/Raspberry Pi/laptop/etc and jack drones straight out of the sky.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHKV01YQX_w
QuoteYou can acquire SkyJack from github: https://github.com/samyk/skyjack
Software
SkyJack
SkyJack (available from github) is primarily a perl application which runs off of a Linux machine, runs aircrack-ng in order to get its wifi card into monitor mode, detects all wireless networks and clients around, deactivates any clients connected to Parrot AR.drones, connects to the now free Parrot AR.Drone as its owner, then uses node.js with node-ar-drone to control zombie drones.
I detect drones by seeking out any wireless connections from MAC addresses owned by the Parrot company, which you can find defined in the Registration Authority OUI.
aircrack-ng
I use aircrack-ng to put our wireless device into monitor mode to find our drones and drone owners. I then use aireplay-ng to deauthenticate the true owner of the drone I'm targeting. Once deauthenticated, I can connect as the drone is waiting for its owner to reconnect.
node-ar-drone
I use node-ar-drone to control the newly enslaved drone via Javascript and node.js.
Hardware
Parrot AR.Drone 2
The Parrot AR.Drone 2 is the drone that flies around seeking other drones, controlled from an iPhone, iPad or Android, and is also the type of drone SkyJack seeks out in order to control. SkyJack is also capable of seeking out Parrot AR.Drone version 1.
The Parrots actually launch their own wireless network which is how the owner of the drone connects. We take over by deauthenticating the owner, then connecting now that the drone is waiting for its owner to connect back in, exploiting the fact that we destroyed their wireless connection temporarily.
Raspberry Pi
I use a Raspberry Pi to drive the project as it's inexpensive, reasonably light, has USB, and runs Linux.
Alfa AWUS036H wireless adapter
I use the Alfa AWUS036H wireless card which supports raw packet injection and monitor mode which allow me to deauthenticate users who are legitimately connected to their drones.
Edimax EW-7811Un wireless adapter
I also use the Edimax EW-7811Un wireless USB adapter in order for SkyJack to launch its own network. This allows me to connect to SkyJack from my laptop or iPad and watch all the other drones as they're being controlled.
USB Battery
I suggest any USB battery which is light (under 100 grams), and can output close to an amp (1000mAh). The Raspberry Pi + wifi will likely use about this much juice. You could also possibly hook up three AAA batteries together to get about 4.5V out which would be a bit lighter, though I'm not sure how much current it will be able to output.
http://samy.pl/skyjack/ (http://samy.pl/skyjack/)
Where's that RQ-180 at? :P ;D
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/border-patrol-drones-being-borrowed-by-other-agencies-more-often-than-previously-known/2014/01/14/5f987af0-7d49-11e3-9556-4a4bf7bcbd84_story.html
Border-patrol drones being borrowed by other agencies more often than previously known
By Craig Whitlock and Craig Timberg, Published: January 14 E-mail the writers
Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are increasingly borrowing border-patrol drones for domestic surveillance operations, newly released records show, a harbinger of what is expected to become the commonplace use of unmanned aircraft by police.
Customs and Border Protection, which has the largest U.S. drone fleet of its kind outside the Defense Department, flew nearly 700 such surveillance missions on behalf of other agencies from 2010 to 2012, according to flight logs released recently in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil-liberties group.
The records show that the border-patrol drones are being commissioned by other agencies more often than previously known. Most of the missions are performed for the Coast Guard, the Drug Enforcement Administration and immigration authorities. But they also aid in disaster relief and in the search for marijuana crops, methamphetamine labs and missing persons, among other missions not directly related to border protection.
Because they have sophisticated cameras and can remain in flight for many hours at a time, drones create novel privacy challenges. Civil libertarians have argued that these aircraft could lead to persistent visual surveillance of Americans on private property. Government lawyers have argued, however, that there is no meaningful legal distinction between the use of unmanned and piloted aircraft for surveillance.
Hundreds of missions
The issue has become a hot topic in Congress; the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the subject Wednesday.
For now, drone flights in the United States are tightly restricted for safety reasons. Other than the military, Customs and Border Protection is one of the few agencies permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly unmanned aircraft on a daily basis within the country's borders.
As a result, Customs and Border Protection is facing heavy demand to fly its unarmed drones to benefit other law enforcement agencies that lack their own.
In 2010, for example, Customs and Border Protection conducted 76 drone missions for other agencies. The next year, that number quadrupled, and it remained at nearly the same level in 2012.
Although the border agency has acknowledged that it flies drones for other law-enforcement departments, it has revealed little about the number and precise nature of the missions.
All told, Customs and Border Protection flew 687 drone missions for other agencies from 2010 to 2012, according to the records provided to the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Last summer, the border agency released a batch of records indicating that it had flown fewer than 500 missions during that period. Officials offered no explanation for why the earlier release of documents was incomplete.
Congress has directed the FAA to gradually open the national airspace to public and commercial drone traffic in the coming years. In the meantime, however, there is a huge, unfed appetite among police agencies for drones and their powerful surveillance tools, which include infrared cameras and specialized radar.
Customs and Border Protection has a fleet of 10 unarmed Predator B drones. They are virtually identical to an Air Force drone known as the Reaper. Both are manufactured by General Atomics, a major drone producer based in Southern California.
The FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies have their own drones, but they are more rudimentary than those operated by Customs and Border Protection. The Defense Department is prohibited from using its drones in the United States for law enforcement
David V. Aguilar, who was the acting chief of Customs and Border Protection until he retired last year, said calls for surveillance help from other agencies began to jump as word got out about the drones' capabilities.
"As the other entities found out we were able to fly, and where we were able to fly, the requests started to come up," said Aguilar, who is a partner at Global Security & Intelligence Strategies, a Washington-based consulting firm.
He said the requests were granted only if there was a pressing law enforcement purpose or a public safety emergency. "There was a sensitivity attached to this," he said.
Customs and Border Protection flies its drones within a 25-mile-wide corridor along the nation's northern and southern borders, as well as over the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
Jenny Burke, a spokeswoman for the agency, said 95 percent of its drone flights "are devoted to CBP's border security mission." She said that the drones are sometimes deployed in support of federal disaster-response efforts and that they can be used to provide aerial mapping of flood zones and storm-stricken areas.
Sophisticated sensors
The logs, which were heavily redacted before being released, detail hundreds of missions and attempted missions. In every case, the name of the government agency borrowing the drones was blacked out, but CBP officials separately provided overall totals of how often various agencies used its drones.
The sensors mounted on the drones, records show, often were equipped with radar technology capable of detecting movement on the ground. The drone logs record many uses of a surveillance system called VADER, for Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar, to spot individual people and vehicles, though its reliability varied.
When one agency used a drone to check out reports of "a launching device" that shot bundles of contraband between homes on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, the drone detected "no suspicious activity" during its flight in May 2012.
Yet in other cases, the drones watched drugs move across the border in backpacks, speedboats, pickup trucks and river rafts. In June 2012, a drone equipped with VADER spotted a truck south of the border installing a temporary ramp over a fence. A silver Chevrolet Suburban SUV soon drove over the ramp, clearing the fence, in full view of the drone. Agents alerted to the activity recovered 2,317 pounds of marijuana.
Jennifer Lynch, a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, expressed frustration that CBP officials would not release the names of sheriff departments for which the agency flew drones. She also expressed concern about policies allowing for indefinite retention of video feeds and other data collected during flights related to investigations.
"We don't know what's happening with that data, and that creates a bigger privacy risk," Lynch said.
Whenever I suspect a drone may be watching, , , , ,
, , , , I look up, smile, and pick my nose. ;)
PS. GOLD for yah Otter, , ,I do appreciate all the reading you do, , thanky.
thank you norval.. i'm just nebby/curious about most everything....lol
Chuckles,
I just read a story an hour ago how california senator diane feinstein said she looked out her window at home and saw a drone looking in.
In her alarmed state she cautioned law makers on drones peeping her.