A federal judge’s ruling that the FAA does not have jurisdiction over drone aircraft is already rippling across the United States. In Detroit, a florist has announced they will begin delivery using drone aircraft.
FlowerDeliveryExpress.com, the online unit of a Detroit area florist, originally began testing drone delivery just before Valentine’s Day before being ordered to stop by the FAA.
Federal administrative law judge Patrick Geraghty ruled last week that the FAA’s argument they control anything that flies through the air was so ridiculous that it means the agency could fine someone for throwing a paper airplane or using a balsa wood toy glider.
The government has been calling on the FAA to issue regulations regarding personal use of drones but the agency has been resisting for over three years. Now, with the judge’s ruling, essentially it’s anything goes for personal drone users.
Berry Flowers said they would be testing mostly in the suburban Detroit area until they work the issues out of the drone delivery service before offering it city-wide. The business also delivers flowers nationally through FedEx and other services, so nationwide delivery in the future is a possibility.
The court ruling doesn’t just benefit shop owners. The court’s ruling would allow anyone to use drones to spy on neighbors, business competitors or strangers. Drones could be flown outside someone’s bedroom windows and there would be no way to stop them.
Want to spy on your neighbor? Want to see where your spouse goes in the afternoon? Want to peer in on the meeting at church you weren’t invited to?
Starting in June, you could spy on all of those with a personal drone you can carry in your pocket and have airborne and spying on someone within 20 seconds.
The “Pocket Drone” by AirDroids was seeking $35,000 from the crowdfunding site Kickstarter to launch their company. With 45 days left in their funding campaign, the company has raised $365,000 from over 800 backers seeking to get their hands on a personal spy craft.
The craft will be remote controlled either with a specialized controller or from a laptop, desktop or smartphone using the Android operating system. While the system only allows for 20 minute flights before needed a recharge, it can capture hundreds of photographs in that short time.
The system will also allow users to have a “follow me” mode where a mobile device with GPS can be tracked by the drone. If the user can hack a subject’s phone, they can program the drone or series of drones to follow a target.
The drone could also be used for real-time video surveillance.
The military has a plan that could include drones carrying chemical weapons within the next 25 years.
The Department of Defense has released its Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap that shows a plan to have drones hunt in “swarms” that will have its own artificial intelligence that could have them deviate from a programmed mission on their own.
The drones would “deviate from mission commands” if they spot “a better target” according to a report in London’s Daily Mail.
The report also says that designs are being created to make chemicals within weapons reach a more powerful and faster explosion.
The Federal Aviation Administration says that within 20 years, there will likely be as many as 30,000 drones flying in U.S. airspace.
The Pakistani Taliban announced they have chosen as their new leader the man who planned the assassination of a teenage girl.
Mullah Fazlullah, who designed a failed assassination attempt on schoolgirl activist Malala Yousafzai, was named the new leader by the Taliban’s leadership council.
Militants fired AK-47 assault rifles and anti-aircraft guns in the air to celebrate the decision.
Fazlullah replaces Hakimullah Mehsud who was killed in a U.S. drone strike on Friday. Fazlullah is considered a hard-liner and has already rejected any peace talks with the Pakistani government.
Fazlullah’s branch of the Taliban routinely blew up schools with children inside and banned women from being able to go outside without male accompaniment. They would force all men to grow beards or face Sharia law.
The Pakistani Taliban have confirmed that their leader has been killed as the result of a U.S. drone strike.
Hakimullah Mehsud, who masterminded the Taliban attack on a CIA base in Afghanistan and multiple missions that lead to the deaths of thousands of Pakistani civilians, died Saturday when he was targeted by a U.S. drone. Mehsud was also believed to be the plotter of the failed Times Square bombing in 2010.
The U.S. had a $5 million bounty on Mehsud’s head.
Pakistan’s government expressed outrage over the U.S. strike saying they were working on peace talks with the Taliban at the time of the strike. Government officials summoned the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan to government offices for protests. Pakistan’s interior minister said the death of Mehsud was “the death of all peace efforts” although he said they would not be breaking off relations with the U.S. because of the attack.
The Taliban has been meeting to decide on a new leader.
This is not the first time that Mehsud was reported to be killed in a drone strike, however, this is the first time the Taliban acknowledged that he had been killed.
The Rim Fire near Yosemite National Park in California, now the 6th largest in state history, has firefighters using a new method to help fight the flames: a National Guard Predator drone.
The drone will fly over the fire 22 hours a day and provide real time photos to fire commanders about the fire’s progress and possible hot spots. Continue reading →
Ibrahim al-Asiri, the master bomb maker for Al-Qaeda who is a major target for international intelligence groups, has possibly been wounded in one of last week’s U.S. drone strikes in Yemen.
NBC reported that American officials are feverishly trying to confirm reports that al-Asiri was inside a car targeted for carrying four members of the terrorist network. Two of the terrorists were killed and another wounded along with al-Asiri. Continue reading →
A drone strike in Yemen Thursday has killed six al-Qaeda terrorists in one of the organization’s former strongholds according to a Yemeni military official.
The drone strike is the 6th in the last 10 days as actions have been taken by the U.S. and Yemeni military in light of reports al-Qaeda was planning a massive terrorist attack against infrastructure and oil pipelines. Continue reading →
A pair of U.S. drone strikes killed al-Qaeda terrorists in Yemen overnight as officials urged all Americans to immediately leave the country.
The four terrorists killed in the air strike were not on Yemen’s 25 Most Wanted list that was released on Monday. Continue reading →
Al-Qaeda has released a statement that the group’s #2 leader in Yemen has been killed in a U.S. drone strike.
Saeed al-Shihri had survived multiple drone strikes including one last year that the Yemeni government said had killed him. The new report is the first time at Al-Qaeda has confirmed the death of al-Shihri. Continue reading →