by Phil
27. February 2010 23:14
...Jim Tuttle, the Department of Homeland Security official responsible for safeguarding America against nonnuclear weapons, downplays the idea that drones could be used against us. "What terrorist is going to have a Predator?" he scoffed at a conference last winter.
P.W Singer writes in Newsweek that the DoD is currently unprepared for the possibility that drones could be used against us. And he's completely correct. While it may be true that we're unlikely to see a sophisticated drone like a predator or global hawk attacking the United States in the near future, small drones that are scaled up versions of current remote control (RC) aircraft could be built and deployed in a terror attack.
While many people consider RC aircraft toys, some versions are incredibly sophisticated. Consider the hexacopter.
This RC aircraft is capable of carrying multiple payloads and uses GPS navigation to fly to pre-determined locations.
It doesn't take a lot of imagination to see how an aircraft like this could be used. But the genie is out of the bottle technology-wise. This capability exists and just like there's no practical way to ban automobiles that could be loaded with fertilizer rigged to explode, banning RC technology would be prove futile.
Prevention efforts need to focus on identifying the groups who would benefit from weaponizing this technology. And not assuming that just because the drone isn't as large and sophisticated as a predator that we are safe.