Federal authorities have been forced to reveal that there are at least 63 active drone sites around the United States, thanks to a landmark Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
The unmanned planes are being dispatched from locations in 20 states.
Most of the active drones are deployed from military bases, enforcement agencies, and border patrol teams, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, but, surprisingly, 19 universities and colleges are also registered as owners of what are officially known as unmanned aerial vehicles.
It is currently believed that many of the institutions, including Cornell, the University of Colorado, Georgia Tech, and Eastern Gateway Community College, are developing drone technology.
The FAA revealed the information after a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Electronic Frontier Foundation. The EFF’s official website now features an interactive map that allows you to zoom in on a particular area and see if there are any drone sites near you.
The FAA, though, has yet to reveal what kinds of drones might be based at any of these locations. The agency says it will release this data at a later date.
Most of the drones are likely to be small craft, like the Draganflyer X8, which can carry a payload of only 2.2lb. Police, border patrols and environmental agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), could use them effectively.
Other drones might include the MQ-9 Reaper and the MQ-1 Predator, which were used to kill Al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen last September.
So are there any drones near you?
See the full map below and check out the full, interactive map here for more.
Related articles
- Drones hovering over your neighborhood? (wnd.com)
- US skies to be full of drones (blacklistednews.com)
- Is there a drone in your neighbourhood? Rise of spy planes exposed after FAA is forced to reveal 63 launch sites across U.S. (tarpon.wordpress.com)
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