Professional Soldiers ® - View Single Post - Gunmen in Mexico kill 3 with U.S. consulate ties

Marina · 03-14-2010, 18:06

I wouldn't object to an occasional drone attack. The first one would be a day to remember at CBP.

Drones silently patrol U.S. borders

Right now, Predator aircraft monitor some border regions on a limited basis. Customs and Border Protection says it has six of the unmanned aircraft: There are three Predators in Arizona, two in North Dakota, and one is being tested for maritime anti-narcotics duty in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The agency will get its seventh drone this spring. That one is expected to go to Corpus Christi, Texas. Right now, none of its drones fly over Texas, the agency said.
The pilotless Predator B can fly up to 240 knots (276 mph) at altitudes up to 50,000 feet, according to the Customs and Border Protection Web site.

But there are questions about safety. A federal government study reported that the Predator is prone to crashing.

"Serious safety and technical issues need to be addressed if the program is to be expanded domestically," a May 2008 congressional report said. "... It is noted that UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] suffer accident rates up to hundreds of times higher than manned aircraft."

03-14-2010, 18:06	#5
Marina Guerrilla Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tampa Posts: 138	I wouldn't object to an occasional drone attack. The first one would be a day to remember at CBP. Drones silently patrol U.S. borders Right now, Predator aircraft monitor some border regions on a limited basis. Customs and Border Protection says it has six of the unmanned aircraft: There are three Predators in Arizona, two in North Dakota, and one is being tested for maritime anti-narcotics duty in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The agency will get its seventh drone this spring. That one is expected to go to Corpus Christi, Texas. Right now, none of its drones fly over Texas, the agency said. The pilotless Predator B can fly up to 240 knots (276 mph) at altitudes up to 50,000 feet, according to the Customs and Border Protection Web site. But there are questions about safety. A federal government study reported that the Predator is prone to crashing. "Serious safety and technical issues need to be addressed if the program is to be expanded domestically," a May 2008 congressional report said. "... It is noted that UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] suffer accident rates up to hundreds of times higher than manned aircraft."
Marina is offline