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Aerovironment wins a $2.1 million Phase 2 contract for tiny fluttering UAV
Aerovironment wins more money to develop its Nano Air Vehicle; the tiny, insect-size robot, flies and hovers using flapping wings like a hummingbird
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Rules of war to be programmed into robots' decision making
Georgia tech researcher has developed an “ethical governor” which aims to ensure that robot attack aircraft behave ethically in combat
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Border agency testing UAV along U.S. northern border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has adopted a new addition to help the agency watch over the northern border in upstate New York: a Predator B UAV
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Israeli Air Force practices UAV shoot-down technique
During the summer 2006 war, an Israeli Air Force’s F-16 shot down an Iranian-made Ababil UAV operated by Hezbollah; Hamas is trying to smuggle Iranian UAVs into the Gaza Strip, and Iran itself is developing more sophisticated UAVs — leading the IAF to practice UAV shoot-down techniques
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Iran tests radar-evading UAV
Commander of the Iranian air force says the service has successfully tested a home-grown, radar-evading UAV; the UAV is intended for both surveillance and bombing missions
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Israel will not sell the most advanced UAVs to Russia
Following the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war, Russia decided it needed more and better UAVs; two Russian companies failed to deliver them, so Russia bought 12 of them from Israel; Israel says it did not sell Russia the most advanced UAVs
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USAF looks for more discriminating UAVs
The increased use of UAVs in Pakistan has also increased the number of civilians being killed in attacks on insurgents; one of the main reasons is the fact that the least powerful munition they fire is Hellfire missiles, which are intended to puncture the tough armor of tanks; USAF plans to build smaller, even microscopic drones with smaller weapons that can hunt in swarms and engage targets in the close quarters of urban battlefields
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Russia buys 12 spy drones from Israel
The August 2008 war against Georgia convinced the Russian military that it needed more battlefield intelligence; after Russian defense companies failed to provide the military with the right gear, Russia turned to Israel
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Western companies help Iranian government to monitor citizens
Nokia Siemens provides the Iranian government with technology to monitor, control, and read local telephone calls; the product allows authorities to monitor any communications across a network, including voice calls, text messaging, instant messages, and Web traffic
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U.K. government to give up on massive Internet snoop scheme
The Home Office admits that its IMP (Interception Modernization Program) — the cost of which was to be £2 billion over ten years — cannot be realized because the technology does not yet exist
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Large defense contractors on a buying spree of smaller UAV manufacturers
UAV expenditures will double within a decade from $4.4 billion annually to $8.7 billion, with more than $62 billion spent over the next ten years
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Company in the spotlight: Distillery Software
Aussie company produces software designed to distill knowledge and intelligence from raw information by linking disparate information elements
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FLIR acquires Salvador Imaging
Acquisition will allow FLIR to expand into markets related to its core infrared business
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Inflatable tower would bring people to the edge of space
Scientists describe a 15-kilometer inflatable tower made up of 100 modules, each one 150 meters tall and 230 meters in diameter, built from inflatable tubes 2 meters across; when pressurized, the tower would weigh 800,000 tons — twice the weight of the world’s largest supertanker
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NYCLU sues DHS over mid-Manhattan surveillance scheme
DHS wants to build a $92 million surveillance system in Lower Manhattan; civil liberties organizations sues DHS over plans to expand plan to mid-Manhattan
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The long view
How DHS Laid the Groundwork for More Intelligence Abuse
I&A, the lead intelligence unit of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) —long plagued by politicized targeting, permissive rules, and a toxic culture —has undergone a transformation over the last two years. Spencer Reynolds writes that this effort falls short. “Ultimately, Congress must rein in I&A,” he adds.