General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTime to look up that post that reported there were sightings of multiple drones.
Could this have been a practice run?
Its Creepy: Unexplained Drones Are Swarming by Night Over Colorado
Sheriffs in western Nebraska and eastern Colorado say they dont know whos flying the drones or why. The F.A.A. is investigating.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/01/us/drones-FAA-colorado-nebraska.html
TECH
Mysterious Swarms of Giant Drones Keep Appearing at Night Over Colorado
IRENE JIAN, BUSINESS INSIDER
3 JAN 2020
Something strange has been happening in eastern Colorado at night.
Since the week of Christmas, giant drones measuring up to 6 feet (1.8 metres) across have been spotted in the sky at night, sometimes in swarms as large as 30.
https://www.sciencealert.com/mysterious-swarms-of-giant-drones-keep-appearing-at-night-over-colorado
MineralMan
(146,324 posts)the armed Predator and Reaper drones being used in Iraq are enormous. There's really no relationship between the two.
The wingspan of an MQ-9 Reaper is 66 feet. The drones in Colorado are about 6 feet in size.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper
Baitball Blogger
(46,753 posts)cause the same damage as a military drone? I imagine you would need small drones to go under the radar?
MineralMan
(146,324 posts)any damage, really. As for radar, the drones used in Iraq don't worry about radar. The only force with any capability of destroying such a drone in that particular area is the United States. Our drones there operate pretty freely, as needed.
The drones in Colorado, whatever it is they're doing, have cameras, not weapons. They're commercial reconnaissance drones, nor armed military drones.
lame54
(35,313 posts)MineralMan
(146,324 posts)They're camera drones. Judging from the photos of them, I'd guess they weigh about 20 lb. each. They might dent your car if they fell on it, but they're not missiles.
Here's a commercial drone about that size:
It costs about $6000, and weighs 22 lb. It can carry about 13 pounds, typically a camera.
jpak
(41,758 posts)MineralMan
(146,324 posts)They are multi-prop copter drones. For pete's sake, why are you trying to link one thing with another? That's silly.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Or make up things that just arent true.
Odd, that.
jpak
(41,758 posts)Odd, that.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)When you are going about your lawful business, you have no obligation to explain yourself to strangers.
Theres no law being broken, so the drone operators have no reason to explain what they are up to.
If they are doing some kind of survey for a commercial purpose, then they certainly arent going to give away whatever proprietary data or techniques they are using.
I dont see why some feel a need to pry into the business of others if nothing illegal is going on.
Is there some kind of probable cause that a crime is being committed? If not, then people in my country are free to go about their business.
Maybe things are different in your country.
I dont believe they the public has some general right to know what law abiding people are up to.
jpak
(41,758 posts)and tell me about it
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)They are not videoing anyones house every night.
Did you read the article?
What kind of country do you come from where people who are not violating any law are required to explain themselves to the public at large?
jpak
(41,758 posts)is that good enough?
Do tell
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Im sure there are lots of things cops want to know. Without a warrant, probable cause, or reasonable suspicion that a crime is being committed, then they arent going to find out jack shit.
Big Ag and a variety of polluting industries would like to make it illegal to survey their properties or photograph them from a lawful position (ie from off the property or from within public airspace).
We do not live in a country where the cops can run around demanding answers from people who are not violating the law.
I realize there are people who are comfortable with such societies in which a cop wants to know is reason enough. They are generally not Democrats.
jpak
(41,758 posts)Democrats welcome unauthorized surveillance of their homes and property?
Privatized Stasi?
lol
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)...cannot be compelled to explain themselves.
Its a simple principle and fairly basic.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Maybe theyre enjoying being the center of a mystery.
Who knows?
jpak
(41,758 posts)That's the issue.
MineralMan
(146,324 posts)military Predator or Reaper drones to carry missiles large enough to blow vehicles into smithereens. Little commercial drones can't do that. Nope. Not a chance.
Here's the drone that was used in Iraq. Wingspan 66 feet. Cost? Umpteen Million Dollars
Here's a large commercial camera drone. Diameter 6 feet. It can carry 13 pounds. Cost? $6000
jpak
(41,758 posts)Russia has a similar drone for sale. (made by Kalashnikov)
https://www.stripes.com/polopoly_fs/1.570015.1550937326!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_900/image.jpg
And Russia used a copter-type drone to drop a thermite grenade into a Ukrainian ammunition depot - destroyed a billion dollars worth of munitions.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/news/a27511/russia-drone-thermite-grenade-ukraine-ammo/
and they do not have to carry a warhead at all to shut down a major airport.
If an operator can deploy 30 drones at night over CO without the knowledge of law enforcement or the FAA or the military - they can make a lot of mischief.
There ought to be a law.
lame54
(35,313 posts)Just pointing out a 6 foot drone could be a kamikaze bomb
Again - not saying those were
Bradical79
(4,490 posts)Considering we've got a lot of very precise missle launching drones already in the skies. A kamikaze drone would be more of an IED thing from a much lower tech militarized group. There's zero reason for the U.S. to use such a thing for assassinations.
lame54
(35,313 posts)It was pointed out that these couldn't possibly hold missles because of their size
I was pointing that they wouldn't need to CARRY missles if they WERE missles
Wasn't talking about our govt or their govt or any govt
Was just saying deadly drones can come in any size
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Bradical79
(4,490 posts)Reading about them, they're very different than what we use for strikes, relatively slow, and seem easy to spot.
I've seen it described as operating as a swarm, so maybe testing some kind of experimental drone coordinating system?
Example:
Baitball Blogger
(46,753 posts)very spectacular.
sarisataka
(18,733 posts)And hovering over houses, yup definitely a military operation. Training for a missile strike in Iraq. No other explanation is possible.
Bradical79
(4,490 posts)CabalPowered
(12,690 posts)Surely someone in Colorado has a drone capable of following the swarm..
Baitball Blogger
(46,753 posts)I wonder who wins in a drone war?
CabalPowered
(12,690 posts)And their suppliers..
ck4829
(35,080 posts)doc03
(35,362 posts)has to with ancient aliens.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)The military has practically unlimited stretches of desert to play with, but instead they put blinking lights on them and run them over populated areas?
Yah right.
hunter
(38,322 posts)A little bird told me...
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Ive heard crazier theories here.