I wonder if they could be fitted out for KFC delivery???
Drone squadron for NT
By NIGEL ADLAM
11may06
PILOTLESS planes are to patrol Territory waters in the fight against illegal fishermen.
Coastwatch will operate the so-called drones by remote control, probably from Darwin.
But officials in Canberra declined to give details yesterday. They said where the UAVs _ unmanned aerial vehicles _ would be stationed was ``classified information''.
The Federal Government will spend $9 million over the next two years trialling the drones.
Coastwatch declined to say how many would be bought but the Northern Territory News understands there will be ``quite a few''.
The drones, already used by the US military in war zones, would carry radar and hi-tech sensory equipment able to spot and film suspect boats at high altitudes.
The planes are part of the Federal Government's desperate search to find cheaper ways to
hold back the armada of illegal fishing boats in northern waters. (Indon fishermen will be terrified
)
Coastwatch said it would use UAVs capable of flying at low to medium altitude and with long endurance. Some planes can fly for 48 hours without being refuelled.
UAVs can be as light as 25kg and be launched by hand or catapults.
They were used to try to sight Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. (yeah ..that worked well)
Territory Fisheries Minister Kon Vatskalis said $6.9million to be spent on marine rangers _ announced in the Federal Budget _ was not enough because the money had to be shared between 14 north Australian groups.
``They (rangers) are ideally placed to apprehend illegal foreign fishermen but have instead been given the token task of monitoring the bio-security risk of illegal fishermen,'' he said.
(my bold)
http://www.ntnews.news.com.au/printp...096552,00.html