Drone aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, have battled in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Yemen, and, now, the United States House of Representatives. While it’s been flying under the radar until now, Congress has a Drone Caucus, officially the Unmanned Systems Caucus.
Congress has spent $12 Billion on UAVs since 2009, an amount that will increase dramatically now that domestic use of drones has been approved. Most of the new drones flying in the U.S. will be used for border security. Twenty-one congressmen from border states belong to the Drone Caucus, and the big drone manufacturers have donated around $1 Million to their campaigns. Expect that amount to ramp up, too.
More:
“The Drone Makers and Their Friends in Washington,”Jill Replogle, KPBS
Related:
“Drone Industry Promises Not To Be Evil, Kashmir Hill, Forbes
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International website
___________________
Short Link: http://wp.me/p6sb6-dyI
Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.
Add to: Facebook | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumbleupon | Reddit | Blinklist | Twitter | Technorati | Yahoo Buzz | Newsvine
Tags: aircraft, caucus, Congress, congressional influence, drone aircraft, drones, U.S. Congress, UAVs, United States Congress, unmanned aircraft, Unmanned Systems Caucus
NotionsCapital 
Leave a Reply