Also see this, from last month: http://news.com.com/2010-1071-979276.html > In 1998, DARPA began funding a project to create spybots that can fly > day and night and that use infrared and video sensors. These spybots, > being designed by Lockheed Martin and code-named MicroStar, will have a > six-inch wingspan, weigh only 86 grams and cost about $10,000--an > affordable price point for surveilling Americans from above. >And what of the spybots' larger cousins, capable of hovering higher and >seeing more for a longer duration? Last week The Washington Post reported >that the federal government may permit unmanned aircraft to fly above the >United States. "I believe that the potential applications for this >technology in the area of homeland defense are quite compelling," said >Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, >who added that the drones could be used by domestic police agencies. -Declan --- Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2003 02:02:05 -0600 (CST) From: William Knowles <wkat_private> X-X-Sender: wkat_private To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private> Subject: FBI Has Fleet of Aircraft Helping to Track Suspects in War on Terror Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0303150201290.4984-100000at_private> Organization: C4I.org - http://www.c4i.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAWWSROADD.html By Curt Anderson Associated Press Writer Published: Mar 14, 2003 WASHINGTON (AP) - The FBI has a fleet of aircraft, some equipped with night surveillance and eavesdropping equipment, flying America's skies to track and collect intelligence from suspected terrorists. The FBI will not provide exact figures on the planes and helicopters, but more than 80 are in the skies. There are several planes, known as "Nightstalkers," equipped with infrared devices that allow agents to track people and vehicles in the dark. Other aircraft are outfitted with electronic surveillance equipment so agents can pursue listening devices placed in cars, in buildings and even along streets, or listen to cell phone calls. Still others fly photography missions, although officials would not describe precise capabilities. The FBI, which has made counterterror its top priority since Sept. 11, 2001, has sharply increased its use of aircraft. "You want to watch activity, and you want to do it discreetly. You don't want to be sitting around in cars," said Weldon Kennedy, a former FBI deputy director who retired in 1997 after 33 years with the bureau. "Aviation is one way to do that. You don't need to get close to that person at all." Some critics say the surveillance technology further blurs the boundaries on domestic spying. They point to a 2001 case in which the Supreme Court found police had engaged in an unreasonable search by using thermal imaging equipment to detect heat lamps used to grow marijuana plants indoors. [...] *==============================================================* "Communications without intelligence is noise; Intelligence without communications is irrelevant." Gen Alfred. M. Gray, USMC ================================================================ C4I.org - Computer Security, & Intelligence - http://www.c4i.org *==============================================================* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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