this is is gonna work out swell
Posted on 09/15/2004 2:00:40 PM PDT by naturalman1975
A SQUADRON of robot spy planes will throw an anti-terror screen around Australia's rich oil and natural gas reserves.
The unmanned drones, similar to those used by US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, will also become the new front line in guarding our northern borders.
Prime Minister John Howard will announce a trial of the sophisticated "eye in the sky" technology today.
The Herald Sun has learned American-built Global Hawk and Mariner unmanned aerial vehicles will patrol skies over the energy-rich northwest shelf within months.
Both are capable of long-range round-the-clock missions at altitudes up to 20km.
The Government wants to use their maritime surveillance and intelligence-gathering capabilities to protect oil platforms from potential terrorist attack.
It will also assess their effectiveness in bolstering Australia's "iron shield" border protection force of navy frigates and RAAF P3 Orion surveillance aircraft on alert for people smugglers and patagonian toothfish hunters.
The UAV trial will operate from Learmonth RAAF base near Exmouth in WA.
But "mission control" will be 2700km away in Adelaide's northern suburbs, where a large support crew will be stationed at RAAF base Edinburgh.
While no plans exist to arm the drones, they are capable of firing killer Hellfire missiles, used to deadly effect by the US against al-Qaida leaders in Afghanistan.
The Government has invited US manufacturers Northrop Grumman and General Atomics to participate in the trial.
The invitation follows the success of this year's counter-terrorism exercise Mercury 04.
The operation was based on a hypothetical strike by five terrorists an on oil rig 300km northwest of Darwin.
Senior defence and government officials now want to enhance security at platforms and oil and gas reserves across the northwest shelf.
Mr Howard counts Australia's $25 billion deal to export liquefied natural gas to China as one of the proudest achievements of his prime ministership. The PM played a key support role in that deal, as he did in June when he lobbied California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's support for a $15 billion BHP Billiton gas deal also from the northwest shelf.
The Government announced plans in February to spend up to $1 billion on 10 maritime surveillance UAVs.
A Global Hawk was flown to Australia in 2001 -- the first non-stop crossing of the Pacific Ocean and the longest non-stop UAV flight.
The Global Hawk has the wingspan of a 737 airliner and can stay in the air for 36 hours with a 13,500 nautical mile range.
Its high-resolution sensors can penetrate darkness and the worst weather to relay information on people who are unaware they are being watched.
The Mariner can carry additional fuel, making it capable of flying missions lasting up to 49 hours. Both aircraft are fitted with state-of-the-art, real-time imaging technology.
The Government believes a side-benefit of next year's trial will be the accumulation of hours of high-quality radar and optical surveillance footage of the Australian coastline.
Australia's defence scientists have been investigating wider use of robots in battle. The peak Defence Science and Technology Organisation expects an array of unmanned vehicles will fill central roles in the nation's defence within 10 years.
So why can't we have the same??
Wrong link..lol...
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/uav-04o.html
Too little, too late for our borders. Hundreds of thousands of ME'ers have crossed over just this year. It just takes one (other than the woman arrested in McAllen, TX who crossed 250+ freakin' times) who's carrying a dimwit voter's registration card and free housing/educ/health and a social security check for another 9/11.
Yoohoo! Mr. President! I know you're busy campaining and all but do have your people call Prime Minister Howard's people.
I'm sure Northrop Grumman and General Atomics would like to sell some border-guarding drones to DHD.
That is one ugly low-tech spy system.
What does it matter they let the Illegals go anyway??
"Wrong link..lol..."
Good picture of a drone, though.
this is is gonna work out swell
Great, a robot gumball machine. God place to hide surveillance equipment.
The invasion continues...
his name is tom servo
www.mst3k.com
home of republican michael j nelson
That depends. If the people prove to be genuine refugees, it's quite likely they will be allowed to live in the Australian community. However, if they are not genuine refugees, or if they are unsuitable people (ie, criminals) to be allowed to come here, they will generally returned home.
Better surveillance means we have a better chance of picking them up and determining their status.
Personally I have no real problems with the genuine refugees being allowed to stay - the problem is with the fakes.
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