A new fleet of low-cost Styrofoam drones is among a growing group of UAVs intended for American skies. Austin Jensen (far right), lead pilot and research engineer with the Utah Water Research Laboratory, makes a final check with team members prior to launch. (Utah Water Research Lab)
Slingshot Drone Fleet Targets US Heartland -- FOX News
A new fleet of model-airplane sized unmanned drones that can be launched from a slingshot on a moment’s notice are among the first wave in the massive rollout of commercial robot planes currently underway into U.S. skies.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones have become synonymous with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, thanks to powerful spy planes and fighters with names like Raptor and Predator. The AggieAir Flying Circus are environmental crusaders instead, deployed to prevent water shortages and solve water resource challenges in Utah.
“[It’s an] on-demand fleet of UAVs that could be put in the sky at a moment’s notice,” explained Mac McKee, director of the Utah Water Research Lab at Utah State University that created the Flying Circus.
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My Comment: I am not surprised that with more research and development .... coupled with manufacturing improvements that lower costs .... miniaturized UAVs will become the next big hobby/game past-time in addition to their many commercial applications. But what concerns me is that such UAVs will also become a tempting tool for terrorists to use in striking sensitive targets anonymously and from a distance. For example ...... my biggest fear is to see one of these UAVs loaded with an explosive device striking the Capital Building or the White House .... an attack that may not result in much damage, but the psychological and media impact on the American public will be enormous.
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