... "robot spyplanes to guard Europe's borders

Published: June 4, 2006, 10:48 am

Two questions (1) Why don't we have them on our US/Mexican border NOW ???? (2) What is "anti-terrorism equipment" ??? Senator Isakson (R) (GA) proposed using drones but the idea was rejected.

Revealed: robot spyplanes to guard Europe's borders
By Severin Carrell
Published: 04 June 2006
Fleets of unmanned "drone" aircraft fitted with powerful cameras are to be used to patrol Europe's borders in a dramatic move to combat people-smuggling, illegal immigration and terrorism.

The Independent on Sunday can today reveal that the tiny planes will fly at more than 2,500 feet over the English Channel and Mediterranean beaches as part of a £1bn programme to equip Europe's police forces, customs officers and border patrols with hi-tech surveillance and anti-terrorism equipment.

The aircraft, called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are already being used by the Belgian government to catch tankers illegally dumping oil in the North Sea. Several ships' captains have already been prosecuted.

The European Commission now wants to use similar drones, which can have a 6-metre wing-span and weigh as little as 195kg, to patrol the Mediterranean coasts and the Balkans where illegal immigrants try to enter the EU. The Russian government is also close to flying drones over its borders. ".........

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article624667.ece

Entry #363

Comments

dragon - Jun 7, 2006, 1:09 am

Actually, the US does use drones on the US / Mex border. I am not sure how many, and how effective they are, but they probably take video that can be analyzed for movement. The problem is that there are massive amounts of territory that has to be scanned. The US / Mex border is longer than any border in Europe, so we are dealing with a whole different scale.

konane - Jun 7, 2006, 9:55 am

Great to hear from you again!!

Very happy to hear there is some security, but still believe the Senate as a whole has taken leave of their senses. Both my senators as I've commented before who are pro-enforcement, period, and feel for anyone whose senator or representative is not.

... "robot spyplanes to guard Europe's borders

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