U.S. drones to watch entire Mexico border from September 1

[Tank]

U.S. drones to watch entire Mexico border from September 1

PHOENIX, Aug. 30, 2010 (Reuters) â€" The U.S. government will have unmanned surveillance aircraft monitoring the whole southwest border with Mexico from September 1, as it ramps up border security in this election year, a top official said on Monday...

Soon to be seen flying all over the USA?

[Recusant]

Soon to be seen flying all over the USA?

Heheh, I wouldn't be surprised.  However, you might look to your own skies, amigo.  If there's one thing the UK needs, it's more cameras trained on the populace, am I right?

[Tank]

We have camera's F***ing everywhere!

[Ultima22689]

Great, even more violence to demolish Mexico. This can only help drive stuff like Prop 19 into passing.

[Dretlin]

We have camera's F***ing everywhere!

The UK is one of the most watched nations on the planet, southern England in particular. So aye, I agree with Tank.  

[Thumpalumpacus]

Great, even more violence to demolish Mexico. This can only help drive stuff like Prop 19 into passing.

I'm pretty sure they will be unarmed, given that the Posse Comitatus law forbids active military operations inside our borders without explicit Congressional approval, and pursuing such operations in Mexico without  their approval would be an act of war.

[Will]

I wonder what the response will be when a cartel shoots one down. Or all of them. The cartels are much better armed than the Taliban.

[skwurll]

I wonder what the response will be when a cartel shoots one down. Or all of them. The cartels are much better armed than the Taliban.

True enough.

Probably send more planes.

[Big Mac]

I wonder what the response will be when a cartel shoots one down. Or all of them. The cartels are much better armed than the Taliban.

Uh...no they're not. Taliban has Stinger Missiles and loads of other nasties we left over for them during the Soviet Invasion. It's also nearly impossible to shoot a planet, helicopter, etc. with small arms. Black Hawk Down was the result of a couple of lucky Somali's with RPGs. Even then it was a shock they pulled that one off.

[Tank]

I wonder what the response will be when a cartel shoots one down. Or all of them. The cartels are much better armed than the Taliban.

Uh...no they're not. Taliban has Stinger Missiles and loads of other nasties we left over for them during the Soviet Invasion. It's also nearly impossible to shoot a planet, helicopter, etc. with small arms. Black Hawk Down was the result of a couple of lucky Somali's with RPGs. Even then it was a shock they pulled that one off.

I think if you point a gun downwards it's pretty difficult to miss  

[Asmodean]

Black Hawk Down was the result of a couple of lucky Somali's with RPGs.

Oh, if you manage to hit it with an RPG, it is very likely to go down in a heap of burning military hardware. You can also bring down a chopper with a tank's main gun or a heavy machine gun (Which is easier to trace a target with) but I'd say terrain is the best weapon against aviation. If you are being carpeted - mountains. If you are being choppered - mountains or dense vegetation.

[Big Mac]

Black Hawk Down was the result of a couple of lucky Somali's with RPGs.

Oh, if you manage to hit it with an RPG, it is very likely to go down in a heap of burning military hardware. You can also bring down a chopper with a tank's main gun or a heavy machine gun (Which is easier to trace a target with) but I'd say terrain is the best weapon against aviation. If you are being carpeted - mountains. If you are being choppered - mountains or dense vegetation.

Touche but most bullets from small arms would just go "ping ping" against a helicopter hull. Happened to Afghanis who shot at Soviet Hind copters with 12.7mm machine guns. Read Charlie Wilson's War for all the fun that ensued from that.

[Asmodean]

Happened to Afghanis who shot at Soviet Hind copters with 12.7mm machine guns.

Yeah... You DO need to be lucky indeed to bring down one of those with a small caliber machine gun. It is doable, but the helicopters - even the soviet ones - are designe to withstand a good deal of pounding from anything hand-held that does not involve rocketry.

War documentaries are great fun by the way - especially the more modern ones. with colors and gore and all the trimmings.  

Edit: Actually, drop the "even" bit from my last comment. Russians can, and always could, build some very nice military helicopters.

[Ultima22689]

Thing is, these are drones, not helicopters and while I wouldn't say the cartels have access to some of the more heavy duty military hardware the Taliban does they are, as an infantry more well armed. They're a for-profit organization, they have a ton of weapons and will probably not have much of a problem knocking out those drones.

[Asmodean]

Thing is, these are drones, not helicopters and while I wouldn't say the cartels have access to some of the more heavy duty military hardware the Taliban does they are, as an infantry more well armed. They're a for-profit organization, they have a ton of weapons and will probably not have much of a problem knocking out those drones.

There are always them SAMs and chain guns and this cute and fuzzy little thingything:



Have I ever mentioned I want one for a birthday present..?