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shawa
CNO
Joined: 03 Sep 2004
Posts: 2004
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 Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 3:50 am Post subject: DRONES AID KATRINA RESCUE |
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AUSTRALIAN IT-Reuters
| Quote: | Drones Aid Katrina Rescue
Correspondents in Baton Rouge
SEPTEMBER 05, 2005
UNMANNED remote-controlled aircraft used in Iraq and Afghanistan may be deployed to find people trapped in New Orleans' buildings by Hurricane Katrina's flood waters.
Five Silver Fox "unmanned aerial vehicles," or UAVs, equipped with thermal imaging technology to detect the body heat of storm survivors, are en route to the crippled city, Pennsylvania Republican Curt Weldon said.
Mr Weldon told reporters in Baton Rouge that he had bypassed government bureaucracy to obtain the drones from a private company to be used in search and rescue operations in New Orleans, scene of one of the worst natural disasters in US history.
"With thermal imaging capability ... you can actually see into the buildings and see the body image of a person still alive," Mr Weldon, vice chairman of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, said.
"It could help assess whether there are people trapped alive in attics or upper floors," he said. "Once you've got them pinpointed you can send rescue teams in."
City officials have said there could be thousands of people trapped in the city.
The small, lightweight drone, about 1.5m long, looks like a large model plane and can be operated with a laptop computer. They can be used to gather battlefield intelligence.
Mr Weldon said the UAVs were being transported to Baton Rouge and he had requested the deployment of US military personnel capable of operating them. They could be in operation over New Orleans within hours of arrival, he said. |
_________________
“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink; but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” (Thomas Paine, 1776) |
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Anker-Klanker
Admiral
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Richardson, TX
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| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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This looks to me to be another well-intentioned, but probably ignorant, act of interference.
IR does indeed detect body heat through walls, if it's sensitive enough, and I kinda doubt those drones have the IR detectors capable of doing that. But water and moisture are the two most effective insulators of IR radiation, and water and moisture are not something NOLA is lacking in right now. Those strutures are thoroughly soaked and saturated.
Finally with helicopters flying everywhere, all they need are additional airborne FOD. I'm very surprised we haven't seen any mid-air collisions yet; this is just asking for it.
I guess the good thing is that someone on-the-scene in the military will make the call on the probable usefulness and effectiveness of these drones - unlike the unilateral heroics of people like S. Penn. |
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MrJapan
PO1
Joined: 27 Sep 2004
Posts: 465
Location: Chiba, Japan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 2:00 pm Post subject: |
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lol.... let him sink his boat and get his cameras wet  It will come back and bite him in the ass 
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Desert Shield/Desert Storm
Texas Army NG 13E FDC
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