The Insomniac Eye in the Sky
Our insomniac spies have been operating for years in the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army recently surpassed the one millionth hour of flight mark for its unmanned aerial systems. The highly sophisticated eyes in the sky have revolutionized the battlefield. They have saved many lives by keeping pilots out of high risk “hot” enemy territories. They have provided sensitive intelligence for enemy movements. They have increased communication capabilities in areas previously blacked out by mountainous terrain. They even engage the enemy with high tech weaponry from their clandestine high altitude cover. Their insomniac eyes are able to see 24 hours a day and they are able to stay up for days at a time. They are friends while seeking our enemies on foreign soil, but now they threaten our friendly skies, our freedom, and the privacy protected by the US Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. The Fourth Amendment guarantees “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” The insomniac eyes of the drones in our skies may guide the “friendly fire” that mortally wounds our freedom.
These “search dogs” are being used by U.S. Border Patrol agents to watch the areas near the Mexican border. The Predator B can remain airborne for up to 20 hours without refueling. A helicopter averages only two hours of flight time. The Department of Homeland Security and other agencies, as well as state governments, are pressing the FAA to clear them for expanded use along the Canadian and U.S. borders to spot drug smuggling. The X-ray, infrared, and laser equipped eyes in the sky are being proposed to support weather research to track tornadoes and storms, to aid energy companies wanting to monitor oil and gas pipelines, and to support U.S. Coast Guard and local law enforcement agencies in search-and-rescue operations. These operations paint a friendly shadow on the suspicious eyes, but the friendly shadow is already becoming dark.
As early as 2006 a North Carolina county began using an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with low-light and infrared cameras to spy on its citizens. The aircraft was used by law enforcement to track gatherings of motorcycle riders from just a few feet in the air. The drone was close enough to identify faces. In 2007 insect-like drones were seen hovering over political rallies in New York and Washington. The UPI.com in a January article reported that the United Kingdom is set to use drones developed by its military to spy on their citizens. Kent and Essex police plan on using them in 2012 “for routine monitoring of motorists, protesters, agricultural thieves and illegal dumping.” The drones the Brits will use are capable of up to 15 hours in the sky, but the technology by then will have been advanced exponentially.
QinetiQ's Zephyr
On July 20, 2010 Defencetalk.com reported QinetiQ’s announcement that their Zephyr solar powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) smashed a long-standing world record flight of 82 hours and 37 minutes set in 2008. The Zephyr had been flying for the past week over the Yuma, Arizona skies, has logged 168 hours, and is still flying. The goal for the Zephyr is to fly for another week and to prove that it is a “truly eternal” plane. The Zephyr is launched by hand. It weighs only 50kg. Its solar arrays covering its wings are no thicker than sheets of paper. They power the aircraft by day and transfer power to lithium-sulfur batteries that supply its power at night. It will be capable of spying for weeks or months at a time over set locations.Defencetalk.com
The RQ-11B from AeroVironment, Inc.
In April of 2009 Defencetalk.com reported that the U.S. Army and AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) conducted a 30-hour surveillance demonstration using the RQ-11B Raven, a small unmanned aircraft system (SUAS) consisting of three aircraft and two ground control stations. The system can be carried in a rucksack and is capable of flying in high winds, turbulence, and rain. The 4.2 pound aircraft is powered by lithium-ion batteries. The Raven carries a daytime color electro-optical camera as well as a nighttime infrared camera. AV has delivered thousands of unmanned aircraft internationally.
The Phantom Eye from Boeing
Boeing, according to Defencetalk.com, buoyed by its success with the piston-powered Condor in the late 80s, is currently in production of its Phantom Eye. The Phantom Eye is a liquid-hydrogen powered high altitude long endurance (HALE) aircraft. It will have a capability of more than four days at altitudes of up to 65,000 feet carrying a payload of up to 450 pounds. They are also developing a larger HALE capable of 10 days and payloads of more than 2,000 pounds. The Phantom Eye is scheduled for its first flight in December.
While the FAA provides cover for our government by citing safety concerns in the sky as a reason to slow the approval “process” for expanded UAV use in the U.S. we can safely assume that we are already being watched by an omnivorous, data collecting federal government. Their insomniac spies in the sky make no distinction between criminal and law-abiding citizens. Jerome Whitehead, in “Drones Over America: Tyranny at Home,” reminds us of a famous quote from James Madison:
“A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defence against foreign danger, have always been the instruments of tyranny at home.”
It is time for us to cast our doubting eyes on the ever-expanding surveillance and control of our federal government. It may be too late to ground her insomniac spies in our skies, but we still have the time to launch the defense of our liberty. Remember come November.
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved to Ronald Czarnecki.
