Drones Magazine

Originally, drones were vehicles for observation and surveillance alone, allowing troops on the ground to see over the next hill. Now they have developed into killing machines. They can operate for days at a time and deliver missiles or other lethal payloads with surgical precision. They are guided to targets by GPS, and “flown” by human operators half a world away. Targets in Afghanistan and Yemen are determined and attacked by operators sitting at desks in Nevada. Now drones are on the verge of expanding from combat killers to eyes in the sky used by police and government to keep track of criminal activity in major cities as well as illegal immigration across our borders. Police forces and other law enforcement agencies are interested in using drones that can stay in the sky for days at a time, reporting all activity back to police and other officials. While the U.S. public generally supports drone use overseas, there is growing opposition to using drones within our borders. Will drone eyes in sky turn into spies above our backyard? Will privacy be a thing of the past as government uses technology to snoop into our business?