Perry, DeLay and Drones

[donsu]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3315624

Drones heading to Ellington boost hope for keeping F-16s


Ellington Field may yet lose its F-16 fighter jets, but Houston-area officials got a measure of relief Wednesday with word that a squadron of unmanned planes is moving in.

The 12 Predators, similar to the one that helped track down Saddam Hussein in 2003, will be based at Ellington as part of the Texas Air National Guard's 147th Fighter Wing, Gov. Rick Perry announced.

Perry and U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay said the Predators will play a crucial role in guarding this region's vast petrochemical complex, as well as showing the importance of Ellington and its F-16s. The Department of Defense has recommended retiring the fighter jets.

The pilotless planes also will be used to conduct anti-terrorism missions abroad and to detect illegal immigrants crossing the border from Mexico, Perry said.
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that petrochemical/illegal hiring corps money just jumped right into their pockets, don'tcha know

[wli]

1. the usefulness of Predators patrolling the border is questionable

Basically, they aren't really autonomous, the only weapons payload they can carry is expensive missiles, and the spotting work probably isn't very useful because the "targets" will flee before help arrives and they can't really hover.

[donsu]

2. I learned recently that some of them can carry 500 lb. bombs

nt

[Joe_VB]

3. Delay can use them to keep track of those renegade

Texas Democrats. I know I shouldn't be giving him any ideas.