Drone planes may fight drug-smuggling
UNMANNED military-style drones could be used by police forces to combat illegal immigration and drug-smugglers along Britain's coastlines, it has been disclosed.
The pilotless aircraft, known as Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS), have been used by British troops in Afghanistan to pinpoint dangers and monitor enemy actions. But a customised version could be used by UK police by 2012 to boost maritime surveillance and border controls, under a partnership between police and BAE Systems.
The UAS could be programmed to operate at up to 20,000ft to detect a particular ship and relay high-resolution images to police in control rooms.
Unlike manned police helicopters, which can fly for a maximum of only a few hours, the UAS has the capability to stay in the air for up to 15 hours.
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Weather for Edinburgh
Tuesday 14 February 2012
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