| More Hubris as money’s run out but US Army May Start $1 Billion Helicopter Drone Project in 2012!

US Army May Start $1 Billion Helicopter Drone Project in 2012

Q

By Brendan McGarry - Aug 16, 2011 9:56 PM GMT

The U.S. Army is proceeding with development of a minimum $1 billion program to buy at least 100 unmanned helicopters, an official said.

The service plans to award two initial contracts valued at between $100 million and $125 million each as part of a competition slated to start sometime after Jan. 1, 2012, according to Tim Owings, deputy project manager for the Army’s unmanned aircraft systems.

“We are moving forward with that program,” Owings said, referring to the vertical takeoff and landing, or VTOL, unmanned aerial vehicle program. Owings spoke today at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference in Washington.

He said eight companies responded to the Army’s request for information, including Chicago-based Boeing Co. (BA), whose A160 Hummingbird helicopter drone was on display in the exhibit hall.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brendan McGarry in Washingtonbmcgarry2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net

SOURCE:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-16/u-s-army-may-start-1-billion-helicopter-drone-project-in-2012.html

‎| PS Drone Wars: Tyranny of flying terror flagrantly breaches International Law + basic Human Rights!

Drones: Tyranny of flying terror

Situationer
Dr Jassim Taqui

The CIA resumed the drone attacks against FATA during the holy month of Ramadan even as people are fasting and facing immense economic, social and security difficulties. Hundreds of thousand of the civilians have been compelled to leave their homes because of twin terror: the terror of TTP on one side, and the terror of CIA drones on the other. Yet, the morally bankrupt Obama administration insists on using brutal and massive force against unarmed and hapless civilians in gross violation of international law and in flagrant breach of basic human rights.The Obama administration claims that, no civilian was targeted during the drone attacks in Pakistan in 11 months, despite 116 attacks that have killed 740 people. The figures speak for themselves. According to the administration, the drones are hunting 100 remnants of Al-Qaeda and Taliban. Who are, then, the 640 additional people killed?

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has just published a detailed report that challenged the CIA’s claims. The report listed the names of hundreds civilians including women and children who were brutally killed by the CIA’s drones.

Killing civilians with Helfire missiles is the worst form of state terrorism. The drones have become absolute terror to the people. They instill fear and terrorize the civilians in total abuse of international law and UN Charter. Killing defenseless people and assassinating individuals randomly is the worst kind of terror.

Fearing human losses, the US military introduced the drones in Afghanistan (2001), Iraq (2002) and Pakistan (2004). The British followed by introducing drone in Afghanistan (2007), and the Israelis introduced drones in Gaza, occupied Palestine (2008). It is estimated that drones are being used or developed by over 40 countries. The United States and Israel who accuse other nations of involvement in terrorism produce the majority of armed drones.

Recent media reports reveal that the US established new drones bases in Qatar, Bahrain and Yemen. These locations provide safe routes for US drones to attack targets in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Libya and soon Iran.

Increasingly, the US military and CIA are using drones controlled via satellite communication to launch missiles and bombs on population centers indiscriminately, often at distances of many thousands of miles.

Barak Obama should surrender his Nobel Prize for peace, since he is acting as a warmonger. His black terror has indeed blackened the White House. 

US Predator unmanned drone armed with a missile

SOURCE:  http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=108381