Monday, January 24, 2011

Pentagon the largest holder of FAA authorizations for drone use in US

Raw Story

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) inside US borders is relatively new, but some might be surprised at exactly how many of these devices were currently active.

As of Dec. 1, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had reported over 270 active authorizations for the use of drone technology in the US -- with the largest permit holder being the Department of Defense.

NASA had 11 percent and the Department of Homeland Security maintained 5 percent to monitor the borders, according to The Washington Post.

The FBI and law enforcement represented a minority of authorizations, but their share was quickly growing.

Soldiers returning from war have created a new breed of law enforcement who are used to having aerial surveillance in their arsenal, experts at New Mexico State University and Auburn University told USA today...

[Full Article]