US Military Surveillance of US territory with Predator Drones

I will just quote the little paragraph buried in the USA TODAY-Thursday, December 4, 2008 pg.3A in it's entirety.....Drone set for Northern Border Patrol
"The first Predator B unmanned aircraft for border security in northern USA is to arrive today at Grand Forks (ND) Air Force Base. The aircraft which will assist Customs and Border Patrol forces is scheduled to begin flights by January."

About time.

Our borders are as porous as swiss cheese. They need to load them up with Hellfires while they're at it, and the next time the note the Federales operating on our side of the border, send them a greeting from the USA.

Been using drones on southern border for some time. Don't think they are all predators.

How about guarding the big cities too.......and hey we can arm these things to get the bad guys as well. Is Canada's border such a threat that we need them there...NO.... It is just an off the beaten path place to get em on line in the air and operational... Set precedent then expand the operation........

reply to post by dooper


You really think this is about guarding the border????......IN NORTH DAKOTA!!!!......HAHAHAHAHAHA

Hellfires roast a helluva burrito! That'd make some great nine o"clock news footage!

From Council on Foreign Relations: "Canada is among the world's most generous nations for immigrants and has one of the highest per capita admission rates. It has, on average, offered residency to about 200,000 immigrants and refugees a year over the past decade, earning a global reputation for an "open arms" attitude."

So Bin can settle in Canada, wait for the dust to settle, and then wander south with the next devious plan…

Cross the border at a recognized checkpoint or enjoy your Hellfire sandwich.

reply to post by strokker


Yeah you're right. We all know that drugs and other bad things only come in through Mexico. Hell, let's stop guarding the coasts too. We only need to watch the Southern border.

As for them flying out of North Dakota, last time I checked that is part of the Canadian border. And who said they would only be flying in North Dakota? Predators have a LONG loiter time and can cover a hell of a lot of ground in that time.

Did you know that you can cross the border into the US or Canada, and no one even knows you crossed it? There are crossings that don't even have people or cameras there.

Originally posted by Jkd Up
Hellfires roast a helluva burrito! That'd make some great nine o"clock news footage!

A patriot at the yoke of one of those drones just might make life a little uncomfortable for the powers-that-be. All it takes is one.

In '62, two dissident South Vietnamese Air Force pilots attacked the presidental palace in Saigon with Skyraiders. All told, they dropped bombs and strafed with rockets and machine guns for 30 minutes. At least one account says that a 500 pounder went thru the room where the president was located -- but it failed to detonate.

The more weapons and surveillance system the government puts into place in the US, increasing numbers of those systems will be under the control of Americans that remember what the Constitution and Bill of Rights are all about....

Great topic and one I feel strongly about. Predators can carry all kinds of IR, UV, X-Ray surveillance equipment and where they are set to fly pre-set patrol loops or orbits - without a human monitor - as is now possible and has been used routinely in Iraq (source is based in the military and is a close friend) - I believe there is possibly a loop hole which means as they are automated, they can gather evidence without probable cause (i.e. evidence is gathered as collateral as a consequence of monitoring a legitimate target. Even if this can't be admitted in court - it is still a clear violation of privacy.

Are you saying that if this thing is used with an IR camera to look at a warehouse suspected of being used on a commercial scale to grow cannabis - and it becomes apparent from the images received from the drone that Joe Bloggs a block away seems to have growing lights in his attic - that he suddenly wouldn't be raided a week later? I'd be he would be even though this does not provide probable cause as the evidence was gathered illegally - the feds can not spy on him without a warrent using IR.

That is the point I am trying to make. I live in a border state(Michigan) and I am saying if this thing is overhead and on it is surreptitiously and indiscriminately "observing" everything in its path ,hostile benign or otherwise....EVERYTHING

reply to post by Dutty_Rag


Probable Cause is not the underlying requirement for a warrant any more. Suspicion is the compelling element now. "We suspected that they were involved in some sort of terrorist activities" seems to be the keyphrase.... not "we had evidence to believe"

I want live feeds from these things ....Cmon ATS ... Lets go have a look see