US Drones To Be Deployed In Zimbabwe

Drones are to be deployed in Zimbabwe soon after they were given the green light by the US State Department for use to track criminals fleeing neighbouring South Africa, ZimEye can reveal.

The effect of the permission means, as done before, the deadly machines could easily be used to track poachers escaping South Africa across the nation’s borders into Zimbabwe, Mozambique Botswana or Namibia.

Animal conservationist Clive Vivier, co-founder of the Zululand Reserve in South Africa, has just been granted permission by the US state department to buy US made surveillance drones to protect the animals from poachers. The move comes as Africa’s rhino population was threatened with extinction and more than 650 of the animals killed this year alone by poachers who sell their ivory rich horns to lucrative Asian markets.

Drones are to be deployed in Zimbabwe soon after they were given the green light by the US State Department for use to track criminals fleeing neighbouring South Africa, ZimEye can reveal.

The effect of the permission means, as done before, the deadly machines could easily be used to track poachers escaping South Africa across the nation’s borders into Zimbabwe, Mozambique Botswana or Namibia.

Animal conservationist Clive Vivier, co-founder of the Zululand Reserve in South Africa, has just been granted permission by the US state department to buy US made surveillance drones to protect the animals from poachers. The move comes as Africa’s rhino population was threatened with extinction and more than 650 of the animals killed this year alone by poachers who sell their ivory rich horns to lucrative Asian markets.

Vivier will now be able to buy Arcturus T-20 drones which have the ability to detect persons carrying fire arms making them capable of also detecting and tracking terrorists.

“It can tell whether a man is carrying a shovel or firearm and whether he has his finger on the trigger or not,” said Vivier.

“We can see the poacher but he can’t see us. We’re good at arresting them when we know where they are. Otherwise it’s a needle in a haystack.”
While the Arcturus T-20 can hold internal & external missile payloads, being a civilian, Mr Viver’s drones will not carry bombs or missiles. Its primary use will be reconnaissance of poachers.

Unmanned flying toys already on sale in the UK

ZimEye can also reveal that in the United Kingdom, unmanned flying objects are already on sale in local corner shops for as little as £80. At one corner shop, a shopowner explained to this publication how the machine carries a camera and hard disk which can record film footage making it easy for civilians to carry out their own surveillence activities at ease. One local police officer was seen in Leeds saying he would seek permission to use the machines for day to day police tracking of violent criminals.

More About Drones

The drone technology which has been used by the US government in its War on terror, could at any time easily be deployed for other reasons such as tracking proponents of violence.

The latest drones have the capability to stay in the air for at least 82 hours without landing making them highly sophisticated and able to travel long distances.

The US government has used them in combat in Afghanistan and Pakistan to track terrorists and other wanted persons. A drone was used in a targeted attack that killed Abu Yahya al-Libi Al Qaeda’s second-in-command in June this year.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS), also known as drones, are aircrafts either controlled by ‘pilots’ from the ground or increasingly, autonomously following a pre-programmed mission. (While there are dozens of different types of drones, they basically fall into two categories: those that are used for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes and those that are armed with [both reconnaissance cameras and] missiles and bombs.

The use of drones has grown quickly in recent years because unlike manned aircraft they can stay aloft for many hours (Zephyr a British drone under development has just broken the world record by flying for over 82 hours nonstop); they are much cheaper than military aircraft and they are flown remotely so there is no danger to the flight crew, writes Chris Cole and Jim Wright in a recent Peace News issue.


Source: zimeye.org - 27 December 2012

Photo: The U.S. Air Force Arcturus T-20 Drone (Photo by Arcturus)


(27.12.2012)