Spy Drones Will Monitor U.K. Citizens

[tekisui]

Source: UPI

LONDON, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Camera-equipped drones, developed by the British military for use in war, will be used in England to keep an eye on civilians from the sky, officials say.

Police in Kent and Essex counties plan to start using them in 2012 for routine monitoring of motorists, protesters, agricultural thieves and illegal dumping, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.

Collaboration between the police departments and BAE Systems, maker of the drones, began in 2007, the Telegraph said.

A prototype for police use is expected to fly this year. Its high-resolution cameras can capture images from 20,000 feet.

"Fully autonomous unmanned air systems could be routinely used by border agencies, the police and other government bodies," BAE spokesman Andrew Mellors said.

more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/International/2010/01/23/Spy-drones-will-monitor-UK-citizens/UPI-31351264292495/

[rcrush]

1. Police State n/t

[Hippo_Tron]

2. Sounds like Skynet...

[Leopolds Ghost]

6. When are they scheduled to become self-aware?

[old mark]

9. Last year, See my post at the end of this thread. nt

[Renew Deal]

3. They should be armed with "smart bombs"

:shrug:

[azurnoir]

4. wow just wow

so the UK is keeping its citizens under constant watch? Well at least I hope we can presume the drones are not armed

I would love to hear from some of our UK DUer's about this

[Skip Intro]

5. "I'm made of metal, My circuits gleam, I am perpetual I keep the country clean"

Judas Priest, 1982

Up here in space
I'm looking down on you
My lasers trace
Everything you do

You think you've private lives
Think nothing of the kind
There is no true escape
I'm watching all the time

I'm made of metal
My circuits gleam
I am perpetual
I keep the country clean

I'm elected electric spy
I'm protected electric eye

Always in focus
You can't feel my stare
I zoom into you
but You don't know I'm there

I take a pride in probing all your secret moves
My tearless retina takes pictures that can prove

I'm made of metal
My circuits gleam
I am perpetual
I keep the country clean

I'm elected electric spy
I'm protected electric eye

Electric eye, in the sky
Feel my stare, always there
There's nothing you can do about it
Develop and expose
I feed upon your every thought
And so my power grows

I'm made of metal
My circuits gleam
I am perpetual
I keep the country clean

I'm elected electric spy
I'm protected electric eye
I'm elected electric spy
I'm elected protective, detective, Electric Eye!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkiO0njw-JQ

[ShortnFiery]

7. And so it begins on OUR OWN PEOPLE. When will they start bombing us? eom

[old mark]

8. This week: Corporations ARE persons, US surveillance of citizens is OK,

military airborne drones spy on British subjects, FBI keeps access to emails. Terminators next?

Tell me again how happy I should be about all the technology.....


mark

ADDED: I tried to post a link to a site with pics and info on the UGV's - military Unmanned Ground Vehicles- which are in development and being tested with our military right now. They are large 6 wheeled robotic vehicles capable or autonomy thet can be sent on recon missions or to attack. They can be armed. They have the ability to learn and decide how to proceed when faced with obstacles. They can stay in the field for months, recharging from solar units. They are just the beginning.

I found a site , but when I tried to access it, my entire computer froze, 3 consecutive times.

It is GlobalSecurity.org, and the page is for Military Ground Systems/UGV.

They also have articles on current wars you never heard of....and a discussion forum.


m.

added: but here's one that works, wiull give you an idea - this is an army site.
http://www.rsjpo.army.mil/FCS.html