New UAV Spy Vehicle Wants to Look at Miami

In light of the new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed by Honeywell that was unveiled this week conjures up many arguments by privacy advocates as well as the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). These droids were originally introduced by George Lucas in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and many are treating the idea of having them hovering over their locale as a disturbing invasion of privacy.

The Miami-Dade police department is eagerly anticipating its approval by the FAA so they may purchase and deploy the space-aged surveillance device. Miami-Dade police department spokesman, Juan Villalba stated, "Our intentions are to use it only in tactical situations as an extra set of eyes. We intend to use this to benefit us in carrying out our mission," he added, "the wingless Honeywell aircraft, which fits into a backpack and is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, seems ideally suited for use by SWAT teams in hostage situations or dealing with "barricaded subjects"" (Reuters).

The FAA has not approved the use of the new UAV and has been slow in developing procedures for their use. In 2007 the FAA terminated the usage of UAV's developed and currently being sold by CyberDefense Systems, a St. Petersburg, FL company that is responsible for the development of the CyberBug and CyberScout. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) as also expressed their safety concerns regarding low flying aircraft. The CEO of CyberDefense Systems, Billy Robinson stated, "They're overreacting and making an issue out of something that's not really the threat they say it is" (Preston Rudie, Tampa Bay's 10 News).

"Bird strikes" are a real safety concern for all pilots. A 5-pound bird can do extensive, even catastrophic damage to an aircraft. Bird warning radar has been developed for use around airports to assist pilots and air traffic controllers in the avoidance of the threat. The FAA should immediately introduce procedures for UAV's usage in the United States that are similar to current airspace regulations.

These vehicles have a huge potential to impact the economy, law enforcement and homeland security. The privacy issues that are being raised are unfounded. It is not the intention of these agencies to deploy the UAVs into suburbia with the intent of seeing what cooking on the barbeque. The intent is to raise the effectiveness and efficiency of the border patrol both on the Mexican and Canadian borders and increase the effectiveness and safety of our law enforcement. Every effort must be made by the FAA to incorporate these new tools into our aerospace.