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'via Blog this'Business booming for Pentagon's war on terror contractors
As Americans slide further down the rough path of service cuts, unprecedented surveillance and other related human rightsabuses, the Pentagon has had defense spending spree this week, $24.5 billion over five days on defense contracts including $531 million worth of drones, a situation requiring more from lawmakers, Congressman Michael McCaul told Homeland Security.
"General Atomics, the people behind the wildly successful Predator and Reaper drones, just scored two huge contracts this week," reportsBusiness Insider Military & Defense on Friday.
"One contract is $411 million for Gray Eagle systems, a derivative of the Predator drone. The second contract is for $120.6 million and will buy MQ-9 Reaper spares for the Air Force. They'll also get ground support systems and spares."
Business Insider says, "America ... enjoy your latest purchases."
This week, the 2013 Defense Appropriations bill passed in Congress with 326 "Yea" and 90 "Nay."
DHS drones to dominate U.S. skies in two and a half years
Plans exist to allow the widespread use of unmanned aircraft, or drones, in civilian airspace,violating numerous human rights that prompted experts and members of the U.S. Congress told a House committee this week that lawmakers must do more to protect privacy and reduce the likelihood of sabotage.
Presently, approximately 200 unmanned aerial vehicles owned by 100 non-government entities like law enforcement agencies and academic institutions, have already been authorized to fly in the U.S., Congressman Michael McCaul said in his opening statement Thursday at the Homeland Security committee's subcommittee on oversight investigations, and management.
In May, "the FAA began a three-year process of integrating drones into U.S. airspace by allowing police, firefighters and other civilian first-responders to fly UAVs that are no heavier than 11 kilograms," CBC News reported Friday.
"The next step in the integration is to select six test sites where the FAA will test how safe it is for civilian drones to share airspace with other aircraft."
Although the FAA projects 30,000 drones over American cities by 2020, in only five years, its says there will be 10,000 non-military drones in use in the U.S.
"With only two and a half short years until drones begin to dominate the skies in the U.S. homeland, no federal agency is taking the lead to deal with the full implications of using unmanned aerial systems and developing the relevant policies and guidelines for their use," he said.
McCaul criticized DHS officials for not appearing at Thursday's hearing.
"DHS's lack of attention about this issue is incomprehensible," McCaul said.
In May, a young Pakistani filmmaker of the award-winning movie about drones, The Other Side,was denied entry into the United States to receive his prestigious award at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth in Seattle. His film follows a child whose entire family was killed by a drone.
