The first unmanned surveillance aircraft started patrolling the Manitoba portion of Canada’s border with the U.S. after a launch ceremony was held on Monday. Based at a military facility in Grand Forks, N.D., the $10-million Predator B drone aircraft are equipped with sensors capable of detecting a moving person from 10 kilometres away.
They will gather information as they fly along the 400-kilometre border and transmit it to operators who will in turn contact border agents. The drones will not carry weapons, such as missiles or laser-guided bombs, and the U.S. will need permission to send them into in Canadian airspace…
U.S. border protection official Michael Kostelnik said that in these “dangerous times,” it’s more important than ever for both countries to know who and what is crossing the border.
“There are vast parts of the border where, on any given day, we’re not sure what’s going on, so part of this is to try to deal with the unknown and not be surprised,” Kostelnik said.
Unarmed, eh?
They couldn’t catch the Swayze Express!
The prototype was known as Predator B (agresssive enough name for a surveillance craft). The current designation for this aircraft is MQ-9 Reaper, and it can be armed, though I imagine it would be preferable to carry less weapons more fuel to stretch it’s flight time. It’s about time we start watching the borders, I guess. Too little paranoia iws almost as bad as too much.
Cool! we should have more postings of explosions.BTW they are not protecting anyone with this drone system.
I think Canada should setup a missile defense system to shoot these down when they come close to the border.
#3 Billadong – What’s your evidence? It must be strong to warrent a teenage abomination of English language
I think our Southern border is the one that needs more protection.
Paddy-Hoe
What’s your take on this?Is there any particular incidents I don’t know about that would motivate these frosty steps?
#4 Canada’s grateful for the help, any border that isn’t properly watched invites criminal activity on both sides.
Durned Cunucks been comin’ down here and messin’ with our women for too long.
Wouldn’t these drones be more effective in, oh, say, ummm, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and California? Along with a few more border agents and buses.
# 7 jimbo said, “What’s your take on this?Is there any particular incidents I don’t know about that would motivate these frosty steps?”
From a US policy point of view we are about to institute mandatory passport requirements on the US/Canadian border. Prior to this all that was required was a US State or Canadian drivers license to cross. There are hundreds of small road unsecured crossing points along what used to be the longest unsecured border in the world.
The new mini passport cards (good for Canada, Caribbean and the like, are a $100 each for those without a passport (most US citizens). Revenue stream?
Ha, that explains it. What you said earlier about the southern borders, that’s spot on…makes little sense to big up the mexico problem then plant HK’s at the opposite side.
Those mini cards,.,you own one?Contain a chip?RFID?
# 12 jimbo said, “Those mini cards,.,you own one?Contain a chip?RFID?”
No, I’ve got a regular passport (which reminds me its pages are full and I need a new one).
The mini cards do contain RFID. Another security/privacy hole waiting to be exploited…
I live in Grand Forks and I am more worried about the Mexicans than the Canadians.
Drones are a great solution to stem border breaches. I totally support this.
Southern border’s security is already much better than the north. But I’m not opposed to using more UAV’s in border surveillance. Our boys need to practice with this technology, might as well take advantage. We could use swarms of semi autonomous UAV’s and one operator could cover hundreds of kilometers.
The government is concerned that we are all going to flee to Canada. This is an attempt to keep us all here so we can work and payoff the “stimulus package”. With its inevitable signing I’ve been stimulated to leave the country.
I know what you’re thinking….Don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.
Correction: Don’t let the drone hit you in the butt…..
The only thing the drones are going to log are the travels of the old folks medicine caravans that come up to Canada, get their heart pills at 90% off and distribute them to their poor friends south of the Canadian border… Such criminals…
These things are deployed to keep U.S. Citizens from Canada when a draft is reimplemented.
The Bush mentality lingers on. To bad he could speak Mexican farm hand Spanish and not English. He might have considered Canadians valuable friends then.
So when will they put them on the Mexican border?
Sigh…so much for the land of the free and the home of the brave! We’re now going for the total security route!
I hope this keeps American military deserters out of Canada!!!!
I live only about 30 minutes north of the border, and welcome the extra eyes.
There are unimaginable amounts of weed and narcotics crossing the border near here, and a lot of the crap that goes with it stops in my town along its way. I think the next closest legal crossing is about 200 miles away….too much room for the bad guys to play with.
Thank God. If it keeps those funny talking communists to the south of us from the crossing the border then I’m all for it.
Wouldn’t installing land mines be cheaper?
To stop all those resourceful, innovative Mexicans, who sneak into the US via Canada.
Probably part of United States Northern Command or Boeing’s Secure Border Initiative. Boeing was having problems implementing the initiative along the U.S .- Mexican border.
The electronics can spot a moving person from 10 km away. How about deer/elk/moose? Could be a lot of false alerts. Then again, it could be a real money maker for entrepreneurial operators when hunting season rolls around.