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1:35 PM, June 14th, 2012
Zoom theatlantic: What the Heck Is Homeland Security Doing With $180 Million in Drones Mostly Sitting Around? A few years ago, the Border Patrol started buying unarmed Predator drones. By the end of 2011, they had 10 of these $18 million machines, and very little idea of what exactly they wanted to do with them. That’s my takeaway from a new report released by the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security. The drones only flew 37 percent as often as they were supposed to, logging 3,909 hours in the air in a 12-month period that should have seen them in the air for more than 10,000 hours. One big problem, according to the report, is that there weren’t enough ground stations and support. This is like signing an expensive free-agent running back but forgetting you need offensive linemen. Drones are sexy! The ground control stations that run the drones, not so much. Read more. Hopefully taking sweet Instagram pics. 

theatlantic:

What the Heck Is Homeland Security Doing With $180 Million in Drones Mostly Sitting Around?

A few years ago, the Border Patrol started buying unarmed Predator drones. By the end of 2011, they had 10 of these $18 million machines, and very little idea of what exactly they wanted to do with them.

That’s my takeaway from a new report released by the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security. The drones only flew 37 percent as often as they were supposed to, logging 3,909 hours in the air in a 12-month period that should have seen them in the air for more than 10,000 hours.

One big problem, according to the report, is that there weren’t enough ground stations and support. This is like signing an expensive free-agent running back but forgetting you need offensive linemen. Drones are sexy! The ground control stations that run the drones, not so much.

Read more.

Hopefully taking sweet Instagram pics. 

Reblogged from The Atlantic
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