The Global Armed Drone Race Is On

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The Race Is On: Manufacturer Sets Sights On Market For Armed Drones -- NBC News

In a sprawling complex just outside Pretoria, South Africa, a government-owned arms manufacturer is preparing to test an armed drone that it hopes to begin selling soon to governments around the world.

The company, Denel Dynamics, says the armed version of the Seeker 400, which will carry two laser-guided missiles, will enable so-called opportunistic targeting at a range of up to about 155 miles.

“These are not combat systems, they are foremost reconnaissance systems,” Sello Ntsihlele, executive manager of UAV systems for Denel, told NBC News.

He added: “(But if) you speak to any general, show him the capability, he will tell you, ‘I want to have munitions.’”

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My Comment: A good summary on the growing market for weaponized drones.

Video: German Drone Misses Afghan Plane Carrying 100 Passengers By Just Two Metres

Terrifying Video Captures Moment German Drone Missed Afghan Plane Carrying 100 Passengers By Just Two Metres -- Daily Mail

* Video filmed from Luna drone shows it flying towards passenger plane
* Out-of-control drone was caught in turbulence caused by the Ariana plane
* Video caused outrage in Germany as debate rages about drones
* Government announced new drones will not have anti-collision technology
* Comes in wake of 'drone-debacle' after country scrapped Euro Hawk programme that had already cost Germany 500million Euros

Classified footage of an out-of-control drone narrowly missing an Afghan passenger plane carrying 100 people has caused outrage in Germany.

The video, filmed from onboard the unmanned German Luna drone as it flew over Afghanistan, shows it missing the plane by about two metres.

It has caused fury in Germany as debate rages about the Government's new order of drones.

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Update #1: German drone nearly hits Afghan airbus -- The Local
Update #2: SCARY: Classified Footage Shows Drone in Near-Miss with Commercial Jet -- Watch List News

My Comment: This incident actually happened nine years ago .... but it is only being made public now. It makes you wonder on what else is being kept secret.

UAVs Now Occupy The High Ground

An unmanned aerial vehicle launches off in support of operations for the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

UAV Pilots Maintain Situational Awareness Above Battlefield -- www.Army.mil

FORT IRWIN, Calif. (May 23, 2013) -- Unmanned aerial vehicle pilots maintain an "eye-in-the-sky" view providing real-time surveillance high above the battlefield in order to keep Soldiers safe from unexpected "enemy" attacks, at the U.S. Army National Training Center, here.

Before putting Soldiers in harm's way, military unmanned aerial vehicles, known as UAVs, perform aerial reconnaissance, be it night or day. At night the UAV uses night-vision to find the point of origin of any attack. Some even carry out attack missions. UAVs have many uses, including safely scanning a large area and providing accurate information on potential enemies.

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My Comment: UAVs now occupy the high ground .... and I suspect that they have saved numerous lives since being deployed over the 'battlefield'.

The RAF Is Now Carrying Out Unmanned Drone Missions From The U.K. For The First Time

'Killer' drones: The use of drones like the lethal U.S. Predator - which is loaded with Hellfire anti-tank missiles - has been condemned by anti-war campaigners

RAF Pilots Control Unmanned Drones On Missions Against The Taliban From UK Soil For The First Time -- Daily Mail

* Afghan raids being controlled by crews operating out of RAF Waddington
* Protestors will march on Lincoln base today to call for ban on 'killer' drones
* RAF previously flew hi-tech Reaper drones from U.S. base in Nevada
* Drones used to gather intelligence on enemy activity in Afghanistan
* Reaper drones carry 500lb bombs and Hellfire missiles for precision strikes

The RAF has carried out unmanned drone missions against the Taliban from British soil for the first time.

In an escalation of the war in Afghanistan, raids on extremists were flown by 13 Squadron, operating out of RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.

The hi-tech Reaper drones are primarily used to gather intelligence on enemy activity on the ground, but they also carry 500lb bombs and Hellfire missiles for precision strikes on insurgents.

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More News On The RAF Conducting Unmanned Drone Missions From The U.K. For The First Time

Armed drones in Afghanistan flown from UK for first time -- The Telegraph
UK starts controlling drones in Afghanistan from British soil -- The Guardian
Armed drones operated from RAF base in UK, says MoD -- BBC
Protesters march against UK’s use of unmanned drones -- The Times
Protesters March Against First British Drone Base -- ABC News/AP
Protest held against RAF Waddington's Afghanistan drone strikes -- The Independent
Anti-drone protest in UK over domestic opening of Reaper control center -- RT
Drones playing 'more important role' -- Caroline Wyatt, BBC

Is The Drone Spending Boom Is Over

Marine unmanned aerial vehicle technicians at Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, inspect an RQ-7B Shadow, June 2011. Photo: U.S. Marine Corps

Obama’s Defense Budget Shows The Drone Spending Boom Is Over -- Danger Room

Drones may be the Obama administration’s signature weapon. But the new, $615 billion Pentagon budget shows that the boom in spending on drones is a thing of the past.

As Danger Room first reported last week, the era of tighter defense budgets does not spare the remotely piloted planes, something that’s been a long time in coming. While the Navy is enthusiastic about its forthcoming drone fleet, the Air Force — which has long had mixed feelings about drones — now talks about “realign[ing] funds to right-size” its robotic planes. That means buying fewer of them.

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My Comment: This is not a surprise .... budget cuts are now the rule, and no program is spared.

A 'Drone Zone' Over Southern California?

U.S. Predator drone (Handout/Courtesy Reuters).

Defense Industry Pushes For 'Drone Zone' Over Southern California -- Breitbart

Despite Americans' concerns about the domestic use of drones, California local agencies are reportedly moving forward with an application to declare a broad swath of Southern California a “drone zone” – an area to be used to test pilotless aircraft. The purpose: government stimulus.

In California, the San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC) and the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) have filed an application with the Federal Aviation Administration to create a drone zone. These groups want to stimulate state drone business, even as the state raises its taxes repeatedly, driving out other business. Northrup Grumman, a major drone producer, has relocated branches of its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program to Southern California. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which produces Predator drones, is located in Poway. The UAV industry in San Diego County clocks in at approximately $1.3 billion, and that number is growing fast.

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My Comment: This is not a surprising development .... especially since recent reports from the FAA are predicting that there will soon be 10,000 drones in the sky by 2020.

Global Rules For Drones?

As Drone Monopoly Frays, Obama Seeks Global Rules -- Reuters

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama, who vastly expanded U.S. drone strikes against terrorism suspects overseas under the cloak of secrecy, is now openly seeking to influence global guidelines for their use as China and other countries pursue their own drone programs.

The United States was the first to use unmanned aircraft fitted with missiles to kill militant suspects in the years after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

But other countries are catching up. China's interest in unmanned aerial vehicles was displayed in November at an air show . According to state-run newspaper Global Times, China had considered conducting its first drone strike to kill a suspect in the 2011 murder of 13 Chinese sailors, but authorities decided they wanted the man alive so they could put him on trial.

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My Comment: Pandora's Box has been opened .... everyone else is now playing catch-up .... and abiding by 'global rules' does not interest most countries.

U.S. Appeals Court Deals Blow To Drone Secrecy

The CIA may be moving away from its previous refusal to say if it had any drone records. Reuters

Appeals Court Revives Suit Over CIA Drone Records -- Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a rebuke of government secrecy, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the CIA must give a fuller response to a lawsuit seeking the spy agency's records on drone attacks.

The CIA's claim that it could neither confirm nor deny whether it has any drone records was inadequate because the government, including President Barack Obama himself, has clearly acknowledged a drone program, the court said.

The ruling was unanimous from a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

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More News On The U.S. Court Of Appeals Ruling On CIA Need To Release It's Drone Records

CIA drone secrecy ruling nixed by appeals court -- CBS/AP
Court deals blow to CIA drone secrecy -- Politico
Court Says CIA Can't Have It Both Ways on Drones -- NPR
Federal court rejects CIA's denial of drone strikes as 'fiction' -- L.A. Times
ACLU Wins Reversal of Ruling Denying CIA Drone Program Data -- Bloomberg Businessweek
The CIA Can No Longer Stonewall Requests For Records On Drone Strikes -- Business Insider
Appeals Court: CIA Must Acknowledge Drone Program -- US News and World Report
CIA must respond to request about secret drone program -- RT
Federal court: CIA can’t ignore FOIAs on drones -- Salon
Victory in Court: CIA Can No Longer Refuse to "Confirm or Deny" on Drones -- ACLU
CIA Drone Strikes Case: Court Finds It Not 'Plausible' That Agency Has No Role -- Ryan J. Reilly, Huffington Post

Attorney General Holder: U.S. President Can Order A Drone Strike On U.S. Soil

Holder Does Not Rule Out Drone Strike Scenario In U.S. -- CNN

Washington (CNN) -- Attorney General Eric Holder is not entirely ruling out a scenario under which a drone strike would be ordered against Americans on U.S. soil, but says it has never been done previously and he could only see it being considered in an extraordinary circumstance.

His comments released on Tuesday were prompted by questions raised over the nomination of John Brennan to head the CIA. Specifically, members of the Senate Intelligence Committee sought the Obama administration's legal rationale for its use of drones to kill terror suspects overseas.

But Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who has said he would do what he could to hold up Brennan's nomination until he got a full answer to his query, wanted to know whether the administration considered that policy applicable domestically.

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More News On Attorney General Holder's Comments That The U.S. President Can Order A Drone Strike On U.S. Soil

Holder: No drone strikes in US, except in 'extraordinary circumstance' -- NBC
President Could, In Theory, Order Drone Strike Inside U.S., Holder Says -- NPR
Holder: Drone strike against Americans in the U.S. possible -- CNN
Holder: Obama could order lethal force in U.S. -- Politico
Eric Holder: Drone Strike To Kill U.S. Citizen On American Soil Legal, Hypothetically -- Huffington Post
Attorney General Holder responds to Senator Rand Paul's drone inquiry -- Examiner
The President Can Drone You Under Certain Circumstances, Obviously -- Dan Amira, New York Magazine

My Comment: If I am reading this correctly .... but according to Attorney General Holder .... President Obama can order the killing of an American on U.S. soil by a drone strike. Wow .... so much for checks and balances?

White House Will Not Hand Over Drone Documents (Update) To Congress

White House Refuses To Hand Over Secret Documents On Drone Killings To 'Ensure The Confirmation Of Brennan As CIA Chief' -- Daily Mail

The Obama administration is refusing to hand over full details of its targeted killing programme in order to ensure John Brennan takes up his post as head of the CIA, according to a report.

The White House is said to be considering handing over details of the Benghazi scandal to Republicans rather than give up the secrets of its drone strikes.

The move is infuriating Democrats who have long called for full disclosure of classified legal memos in relation to targeted killings.

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Update #1: There's A Reason Obama Would Rather Talk About Benghazi Than Drones -- Business Insider
Update #2: White House Tactic for C.I.A. Bid Holds Back Drone Memos -- New York Times

My Comment: Liberal Democrats have every right to be "steamed" .... but they are still going to confirm President Obama`s nominations anyway.

Al Qaeda's Guidelines On Avoiding U.S. Drones

Al Qaida Papers Drones by Sam Biddle

How To Avoid American Drones, by Al-Qaeda -- Gizmodo

When AP reporters walked through turf where Islamic terrorists had been driven out by the French military, they found a curious photocopied document: a list of 22 tips for avoiding UAV death. But you can use them, too!

Most of the stuff seems like pretty solid advice centered around hiding or covering yourself with other stuff, but hey, when you're in the middle of a warzone, you've got to work with what you have. Like spare tires or broken glass. Even if it's not a panacea against sudden Hellfire strike, it sure beats standing around waiting to get vaporized by some guy in Nevada. If and when Predator drones patrol the skies of the US looking for bad guys in suburbia instead of terrorists in Africa, you might just want to print out a copy for yourself.

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Update #1: Al-Qaeda's 22 tips for dodging drone attacks: the list in full -- The Telegraph
Update #2: Al-Qaida tipsheet on avoiding drones found in Mali -- AP

My Comment: Very basic stuff.

Even The Russians Cannot Keep Their Secrets

Russia Tries To Remove Images of New Drone From the Internet -- Slate

There’s not much that can be done to suppress a government secret once it is published on the Internet. But that hasn’t stopped Russia from trying.

Earlier this month, a government website for the Republic of Tatarstan let slip never-before-seen images of a new Russian military drone apparently capable of conducting strike missions. Shortly after, the images vanished from the website—but not before they were snatched and reproduced by Russian news outlets and FlightGlobal.

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WNU Editor: Flight Global has more on this Russian uav.

Pentagon To Run The CIA's Covert Drone Program?

The Predator drone has proven to be an effective weapon that offers both real-time surveillance and offensive firepower for troops on the ground. Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times/MCT

CIA’s Covert Drone Program Might Shift Further To Pentagon -- Stars and Stripes/Tribune

WASHINGTON — Facing growing pressure to lift the secrecy around targeted killings overseas, the Obama administration is considering shifting more of the CIA’s covert drone program to the Pentagon, which operates under legal guidelines that could allow more public disclosure in some cases.

John Brennan, whom President Barack Obama has nominated to run the CIA, favors moving most drone killing operations to the military, current and former U.S. officials say. As White House counterterrorism adviser for the last four years, Brennan has overseen the steady increase in targeted killings of suspected militants and al-Qaida operatives.

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My Comment: No one wants to have this hot potato in their hand.

Iran Airs On State TV Video Footage From Downed US RQ-170 Drone

Iran PROVES It Downed A U.S Spy Drone By Posting Footage On YouTube -- Daily Mail

* The black and white aerial footage, Iran claims was from a RQ-170 spy plane
* Aired by Iranian news agencies and placed on YouTube
* Black and white footage shows an aerial view of an airport and a city
Obama asked for the drone back after it went missing 2011

Iran has rejected Obama's offer to discuss their nuclear programme saying the U.S. was proposing talks while 'pointing a gun at Iran.'

The refusal came as state television broadcast footage allegedly extracted from a CIA drone captured in 2011.

The black and white video shows an aerial view of an airport and a city, said to be Kandahar in Afghanistan.

The release comes at a sensitive time as the U.S. increased sanctions on Iran on yesterday, aiming to tighten a squeeze on Tehran's ability to spend oil cash.

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More News On Iran Airing On State TV Video Footage From Downed US RQ-170 Drone

Iran airs footage it says is from downed US drone -- Reuters
Here’s the video Iran says it hacked from a downed U.S. drone -- Washington Post
Iran airs footage allegedly from captured US drone (+video) -- Christina Science Monitor/AP
Video Iran Says Was Recorded by U.S. Drone Is Broadcast on State TV -- The Lede/New York Times
Iran TV airs video of captured US drone -- AFP
Iran claims released footage is from downed U.S. drone -- CNN
Iran claims it extracted footage from downed U.S. drone -- Washington Times
Iran says it posted video from U.S. drone -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Tehran Airs Images Allegedly Taken From U.S. Drone -- Radio Free Europe
Iran Releases Footage Allegedly Extracted From US Drone -- Arutz Sheva
Iran Airs Spy Footage It (Allegedly) Took From a Captured U.S. Drone -- Atlantic Wire
Raw Video Footage: Iran claims images taken from drone -- USA Today
Is this video from the RQ-170 stealth drone captured by Iran? -- John Reed. Foreign Policy

President Obama Orders Secret Drone Memos To Be Shared With Congress A Day After They Have Been Leaked To The Media

Obama Orders Secret Drone Memos Shared With Congress -- Yahoo News/The Ticket

President Barack Obama, moving to defuse a battle with Congress, directed the Justice Department on Wednesday to share secret memos laying out the legal justification for targeted drone-strike assassinations overseas with key committees, an aide said.

Obama’s decision came as his pick to head the CIA, White House counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan, faced a grilling on the issue on Thursday at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

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More News On President Obama Ordering The Secret Drone memos To Be Shared With Congress

Obama reverses course, approves providing legal advice on drones to Congress -- The Politico
Drone Strike Information To Be Provided To Congress By Justice Department -- Huffington Post
BREAKING: Obama to hand over drone documents ahead of Brennan hearing -- CNN
Obama OKs giving classified intel on drone strikes to Congress -- Detroit Free Press
Obama considers allowing lawmakers to see secret memos on targeted killings -- Washington Post
Previous Post: Leaked U.S. Justice Memo Outlines The Legal Guidelines For U.S. Drone Strikes Against Americans

My Comment: He had no choice .... the memos were already leaked to the New York Times and Washington Post. He is also doing this to defuse potentially embarrassing questions tomorrow when CIA Director nominee John Brennan goes to the Senate for his confirmation hearing.

 WNU Editor: The 16 page memo is here.

The U.S. Has Been Operating A Secret Drone Base In Saudi Arabia For Over A Year (Updated)

Tribesmen on the rubble of a building destroyed on Sunday in an American drone strike against suspected militants in Shabwa Province in southeastern Yemen. Khaled Abdullah/Reuters

Drone Strikes’ Dangers To Get Rare Moment In Public Eye -- New York Times

SANA, Yemen — Late last August, a 40-year-old cleric named Salem Ahmed bin Ali Jaber stood up to deliver a speech denouncing Al Qaeda in a village mosque in far eastern Yemen.

It was a brave gesture by a father of seven who commanded great respect in the community, and it did not go unnoticed. Two days later, three members of Al Qaeda came to the mosque in the tiny village of Khashamir after 9 p.m., saying they merely wanted to talk. Mr. Jaber agreed to meet them, bringing his cousin Waleed Abdullah, a police officer, for protection.

As the five men stood arguing by a cluster of palm trees, a volley of remotely operated American missiles shot down from the night sky and incinerated them all, along with a camel that was tied up nearby.

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More News On The CIA Operating A Drone Base In Saudi Arabia

CIA runs combat drone base in Saudi Arabia -- UPI
Washington Post was forced into finally revealing drone base secret -- The Guardian
CIA operating drone base in Saudi Arabia, US media reveal -- BBC
CIA operating secret drone base in Saudi Arabia -- Global Post
Media turns blind eye to secret CIA drone base in Saudi -- Washington Times
CIA operates drone base in Saudi Arabia -- AP
News of CIA’s Secret Saudi Drone Base Leaks, Just in Time for Brennan’s Confirmation Hearing -- New York Mag
Let's Hope Obama's Secret Drone Base in Saudi Arabia Doesn't Inspire Blowback -- Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic

My Comment: I suspect that there are many officials in the Saudi government who are not happy that this news is now being made public.

Here Comes The Mini Drones

The tiny drones send video and still images back to a handheld screen

Mini Drones: Army Deploys Tiny Helicopters -- SKY News

A tiny 4ins remote-control helicopter is being used for surveillance on the front line to detect enemy threats to British troops.

British troops are using a nano drone just 10cm long and weighing 16 grams on the front line in Afghanistan to provide vital information on the ground.

They are the first to use the state-of-the-art handheld tiny surveillance helicopters, which relay reliable full motion video and still images back to the devices' handlers in the battlefield.

The Black Hornet Nano Unmanned Air Vehicle is the size of a child's toy, measuring just 10cm (4 ins) by 2.5cm (1 inch), and is equipped with a tiny camera.

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My Comment: It will only be a question of time before every squad has a few of these drones to use on patrol, scouting, etc.

U.S. Military Spy Drone Can Now View An Area Of 15 Sq/Miles In A Single Image

The Incredible U.S. Military Spy Drone That's So Powerful It Can See What Type Of Phone You're Carrying From 17,500ft -- Daily Mail

* The ARGUS-IS can view an area of 15 sq/miles in a single image
* Its zoom capability can detect an object as small as 6in on the ground
* Developed by BAE as part of a $18million DARPA project
* System works by stringing together 368 digital camera chips

A sinister airborne surveillance camera gives the U.S. military the ability to track movements in an entire city like a real-time Google Street View.

The ARGUS-IS array can be mounted on unmanned drones to capture an area of 15 sq/miles in an incredible 1,800MP - that's 225 times more sensitive than an iPhone camera.

From 17,500ft the remarkable surveillance system can capture objects as small as 6in on the ground and allows commanders to track movements across an entire battlefield in real time.

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My Comment: Commanders can now have a view of the entire battle-zone .... locating and identifying concentrations of enemy combatants, as well as ascertaining where they have come from and where are they going. The potential uses and applications are boundless.

The Pros, Cons And Controversies Of Drone Warfare

Watch Exploring Effectiveness, Consequences of Drone Warfare on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

Exploring Technology, Effectiveness, Consequences of Drone Warfare -- PBS News Hour 

PBS's NOVA explores the pros, cons and controversies of drone warfare, as well as the technology behind drone strikes. Jeffrey Brown discusses with Seth Jones of RAND Corporation and Chris Anders from the American Civil Liberties Union.    

Transcript

JEFFREY BROWN: And now to our second story about the military: the turn to drone warfare in the hunt for terrorists. Tonight's edition of "NOVA" explores this sophisticated technology, its uses and the controversy it's stirred. This excerpt shows a U.S. military training exercise for those charged with directing drones to track and hit their targets.  

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My Comment: A must see for those who are interested in knowing how drone pilots are trained and where America's drone warfare is heading.

U.N. Launches An Inquiry Into U.S. And British Drone Killings

A US Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile stands on the tarmac of Kandahar military airport in Afghanistan on June 13, 2010. A United Nations investigation into the impact of drone strikes and targeted killings on civilians was launched in London on Thursday. France24/AFP

UN Launches Inquiry Into Drone Killings -- BBC

The UN is launching an inquiry into the impact on civilians of drone strikes and other targeted killings.

There is a need for "accountability and reparation where things have gone badly wrong", the British lawyer heading the investigation told journalists.

Ben Emmerson QC, a UN special rapporteur, said the "exponential" rise of drone technology required a proper legal framework to be put into place.

The inquiry will study the impact of drone strikes in five places.

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More News On The U.N. Launching An Inquiry Into Drone Killings

U.N. launches drone investigation -- Turtle Bay/Foreign Policy
UN To Investigate Impact Of Drones -- Radio Free Europe
UN to examine UK and US drone strikes -- The Guardian
UN launches drone attacks probe -- AFP
U.N. launches probe of U.S. drone attacks -- Washington Times
UN to Investigate US, UK Drone Attacks -- Newser
UN begins probe into civilian deaths in US and UK drone attacks -- RT
United Nations to probe UK and US drone strikes -- Khaama Press
UN to probe legality of drone strikes in Pakistan, other countries -- DAWN
US drone strikes in Pakistan to go under UN microscope -- Express Tribune