Carsten Wiethoff Wrote:How many active squadrons are there?

Quote:The 432nd wing has six operational squadrons, one maintenance squadron, with six Reapers and 60 Predators. These squadrons are projected to fly 75,000 hours this year, 85 percent being combat operations, said Col. Eric Mathewson, who assumed command of the 432nd Operations Group. The Predator is currently being used in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom for intelligence surveillance reconnaissance and tactical missions, flown by pilots and sensor operators in the United States.

Carsten Wiethoff Wrote:

Carsten Wiethoff Wrote:How many active squadrons are there?

To partly answer my question: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Air_Force_Stands_Up_First_Unmanned_Aircraft_Systems_Wing_999.html

Quote:The 432nd wing has six operational squadrons, one maintenance squadron, with six Reapers and 60 Predators. These squadrons are projected to fly 75,000 hours this year, 85 percent being combat operations, said Col. Eric Mathewson, who assumed command of the 432nd Operations Group. The Predator is currently being used in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom for intelligence surveillance reconnaissance and tactical missions, flown by pilots and sensor operators in the United States.

These are 2007 numbers.

Quote:The 432d is the first wing totally dedicated to operating the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, both of which are currently being used in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom for intelligence surveillance reconnaissance and tactical missions, flown by pilots and sensor operators in the United States.[SUP][5][/SUP]
The 432d is authorized 160 Predator and 60 Reapers. As of May 2007, 6 Reapers and about 85 Predators have been delivered with half of the Predators deployed forward in the United States Central Command area of operations. The wing is expected to fly 12 combat air mission in Iraq and Afghanistan each day.[SUP][6][/SUP]

Obama Nominates Drone "War Criminal" To First Circuit Court

David Barron, a Harvard law professor who gave President Obama the green light for his illegal global drone attacks, has been nominated by Obama for a seat on the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals.

Quote:The UK has used American drones over 250 times to carry out previously unreported attacks in Afghanistan, the MoD has admitted. The reports prompted a sharp reaction from British rights groups who slammed the lack of transparency in the UK military.
In response to a freedom of information request by British rights group Drone Wars UK, the Ministry of Defense said it had launched 39 missile strikes from unmanned US craft in Afghanistan. This the first time the Ministry of Defense has admitted to the use of American craft in conflict zones to carry out strikes.
"Of the 2,150 missions flown by UK personnel, there were 271 missions in Afghanistan when UK personnel utilized a US Reaper, as a UK Reaper was unavailable. During these missions, UK personnel released 39 weapons. I am withholding information about weapons released by UK personnel embedded with the United States Air Force on operations in Afghanistan and Libya under Section 27 [of the Freedom of Information Act]," said a statement from the MoD.

It was revealed last year that members of the RAF embedded within the US forces had carried out 2,150 missions in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq. However, the MoD did not divulge any specifics on the nature of the missions or the weapons that were used.
Prior to this, the MoD had stuck to statistics based on the amount of attacks carried out by British unmanned drones in Afghanistan, meaning that at least 10 percent of attacks carried out by British RAF pilots using American craft were not reported to parliament.
In response to the statement from the MoD, rights group Drone Wars UK said the lack of transparency was a testament to the "secrecy surrounding the use of armed drones."
"It is essential that information about drone operations and in particular drone strikes undertaken by British RAF pilots while embedded with US forces is made available for public scrutiny and debate rather than being withheld," said Chris Cole of Drone Wars UK, in a statement posted on the organization's site.
In addition, he said action must be taken to avoid the increasing use of "unaccountable military attacks" because they lead to "global instability and increased insecurity."
"The nature of this technology means that drones can simply and secretly be 'borrowed' between different operators, making public accountability when strikes take place very difficult if not impossible."
The UK had previously stated the amount of attacks carried out by British reaper drones in Afghanistan in 2012. As of November 1 of that year, 297 Hellfire precision missiles and 52 guided bombs had been employed by the UK since the beginning of the conflict in Afghanistan.

Anti-drone activist kidnapped in Pakistan before he was due to testify in Europe

Magda Hassan Wrote:Anti-drone activist kidnapped in Pakistan before he was due to testify in Europe

Published time: February 11, 2014 04:05
Edited time: February 11, 2014 06:27 Get short URL

An MQ-1B Predator.(Reuters / U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)




Tags
Drones, Law, Pakistan

A prominent Pakistani journalist and anti-drone activist has gone missing after nearly two dozen men stormed his home and abducted him, his lawyer announced on Monday just days before he was due to testify before European parliamentarians.
Kareem Khan was taken from his home in Rawalpindi a city located just nine miles away from Islamabad in Punjab province by approximately 20 men. Shahzad Akbar, Khan's lawyer, told AFP that many of the men were wearing police uniforms, though the affiliation of the kidnappers remains unknown.
Khan was scheduled to depart Pakistan on Saturday to speak with German, Dutch, and British parliamentarians about his experience with drone strikes.
Khan originally hails from the tribal region of North Waziristan and became the first Pakistani man to sue the US government in connection with drone attacks that killed members of his family. Khan's brother and son were killed in a strike in December 2009.
Akbar now maintains that Khan's wife and children have not been given any information regarding his location, or why he was taken.
"We lodged a report with the local police but they denied having picked him up," the attorney said. "It seems to be work of the intelligence agencies."
Local police have denied any involvement, saying they have no record of a raid on the night in question.
Clare Algar, executive director at Reprieve a legal charity based in the UK wrote on the organization's website that officials are growing concerned.
"We are very worried about Mr. Khan's safety," she wrote. "He is a crucial witness to the dangers of the CIA's covert drone program, and has simply sought justice for the death of his son and brother through peaceful, legal routes. Reports that he was detained by men in police uniforms are of great concern, and we urge the Government of Pakistan to do everything in its power to secure his immediate release."
He first filed suit in 2010, asserting that drone strikes murder innocent civilians and violate international law by subverting the international prohibition on assassinations away from a battlefield. Khan said he was not home at the time of the strike, but stated that neighbors witnessed a massive blast.
In addition to Khan's brother and son, a construction worker also died in the strike. Khan's brother was a teacher with a master's degree in English, while his son was a staff member at a government school.
Senior US intelligence officials told CNN at the time that Khan was suspected of housing Haji Omar Khan, a notorious Taliban leader who was also killed in the strike. Khan has denied ever knowing Haji Omar Khan, who fought against the Soviet Red Army in Afghanistan before developing close ties with Mullah Omar.
Last year, Akbar who represents a number of Pakistanis affected by drone strikes and other activists published a letter in which they named the CIA station chief in Islamabad, accusing he and CIA director John Brennan of murder for their role in a drone strike late last year.
While exact figures are murky, AFP estimates that 2,155 Pakistanis have been killed in drone attacks since august 2008. It remains unknown how many of those killed were suspected militants and how many were civilians.
http://rt.com/news/anti-drone-pakistan-activist-missing-476/

Anwar al-Awlaki, a US citizen, was killed in an American drone strike in Yemen. Photograph: AP

A US federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against the government by the families of three American citizens killed by drones in Yemen, saying senior officials cannot be held personally responsible for money damages for the act of conducting war.
The families of the three including Anwar al-Awlaki, a New Mexico-born militant Muslim cleric who had joined al-Qaida's Yemen affiliate, as well as his teenage son sued over their 2011 deaths in US drone strikes, arguing that the killings were illegal.
Judge Rosemary Collyer of the US district court in Washington threw out the case, which had named as defendants the former defence secretary and CIA chief Leon Panetta, the former senior military commander and CIA chief David Petraeus and two other top military commanders.
"The question presented is whether federal officials can be held personally liable for their roles in drone strikes abroad that target and kill U.S. citizens," Collyer said in her opinion. "The question raises fundamental issues regarding constitutional principles and it is not easy to answer."
But the judge said she would grant the government's motion to dismiss the case.
Collyer said the officials named as defendants "must be trusted and expected to act in accordance with the US constitution when they intentionally target a US citizen abroad at the direction of the president and with the concurrence of Congress. They cannot be held personally responsible in monetary damages for conducting war."
Awlaki's US-born son Abdulrahman al-Awlaki was 16 years old when he was killed. Also killed was Samir Khan, a naturalised US citizen who had moved to Yemen in 2009 and worked on Inspire, an English-language al-Qaida magazine.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Centre for Constitutional Rights, both based in New York, represented the families. They had argued that in killing American citizens the government violated fundamental rights under the US constitution to due process and to be free from unreasonable seizure.
"This is a deeply troubling decision that treats the government's allegations as proof while refusing to allow those allegations to be tested in court," said ACLU lawyer Hina Shamsi. "The court's view that it cannot provide a remedy for extrajudicial killings when the government claims to be at war, even far from any battlefield, is profoundly at odds with the Constitution."
Centre for Constitutional Rights lawyer Maria LaHood said the judge "effectively convicted" Anwar al-Awlaki "posthumously based solely on the government's say-so". LaHood said the judge also found that the constitutional rights of the son and of Khan "weren't violated because the government didn't target them".
"It seems there's no remedy if the government intended to kill you, and no remedy if it didn't. This decision is a true travesty of justice for our constitutional democracy and for all victims of the US government's unlawful killings," LaHood said.
Collyer ruled that the families did not have a claim under the Constitution's fourth amendment guarantee against unreasonable seizures because the government did not seize or restrain the three who were killed. "Unmanned drones are functionally incapable of 'seizing' a person; they are designed to kill, not capture," she wrote.
Collyer wrote that the families had presented a plausible claim that the government violated Awlaki's due process rights. "Nonetheless the court finds no available remedy under US law for this claim," the judge wrote.
"In this delicate area of war making national security and foreign relations the judiciary has an exceedingly limited role."
Allowing claims against individual federal officials in this case "would impermissibly draw the court into the heart of executive and military planning and deliberation", she wrote. It would "require the court to examine national security policy and the military chain of command as well as operational combat decisions".
Nasser al-Awlaki, father of Anwar al-Awlaki, said he was disappointed in the American justice system and "like any parent or grandparent would, I want answers from the government when it decides to take life, but all I have got so far is secrecy and a refusal even to explain".
Drone attacks have killed several suspected figures in al-Qaida's Yemen-based affiliate including Awlaki, who is accused of orchestrating plots to bomb a Detroit-bound airliner in 2009 and US cargo planes in 2010.
The United States has faced international criticism for its use of drones to attack militants in places such as Pakistan and Yemen. A UN human rights watchdog in March called on the Obama administration to limit its use of drones targeting suspected al-Qaida and Taliban militants.
Barack Obama's administration increased the number of drone strikes after he took office in 2009 but attacks have dropped off in the past year. The US has come under pressure from critics to rein in the missile strikes and do more to protect civilians.

INFINITY 9 OCTOCOPTER

INFINITY 9 OCTOCOPTER FEATURES & OPTIONS

• Triple Carbon Fiber Decks & CNC Aluminum Architecture
  
• Super Rigid 5½ Feet Wingspan for smooth effortless motion & stability
  
  
• Patent Pending Foldable Carbon Fiber Booms with Lockable Aluminum Gliders on Carbon Tracks
  
• Long Range 2.4GHz Transmitters, Receivers & Telemetry for up to 1.2 miles operations
  
• Telemetry Set Up includes secondary alarm for low battery status warning
  
  
• Advanced DJI Naza-M V2 or A2 Flight Controller & GPS Functions
  
• Triple Bearing 48mm Brushless Motors for extraordinary precision, torque & durability
  
  
• 60A SimonK ESCs with customized algorithms for smoother & cooler operations
  
  
• 17 Inch High Profile Carbon Fiber Double-Point Mount Propellers
  
  
• Retractable Landing Skid with Easy Release Track System
  
  
• Advanced 3-Axis Gimbals for DSLR & Red Epic Cameras
  
  
• Vibration Isolation to prevent jello associated with rolling shutters
  
  
• FPV Live Video Feed Transmitter, Receivers & FPV Monitors/Goggles
  
  
• OSD to Display In-flight Data & Artificial Horizon overlaid on top of FPV
  
• 2x to 4x 10,000mah 6S LiPo Battery for extended flight time
  
• SkyRC Ultra Fast Battery Charger or SkyRC 4-Simultaneous Batteries Charger
  
• Waypoint Components for preprogrammed flights.
  
• Options for Training include smaller crash resistant quadcopter & flight simulators
  
  
• Flash Memory with individual test flight video and comprehensive User Instruction Manual
  [B][/B]
  

• Selection of DJI Naza-M V2 or A2 Flight Controllers
  
  
• Auto-Stabilized Flight Mode utilizes gyro-activated stabilization to counter wind & assist pilot in maneuvering the aircraft.
  
• GPS & Altitude Lock offer hands-free hover in a fixed GPS position within a 2-4 feet radius using satellite based GPS coordinates and within 2 feet in elevation using barometric sensor.
  
• Home Lock utilizes the GPS based home position for a tail-in oriented carefree flight.
  
• Course Lock utilizes the initial direction as a consistent and orientation for carefree flight.
  
• Preprogrammed Failsafe Return to Home is triggered by lost of signals to return the octocopter to the home position. This program can be reset to automatically direct the octocopter to climb to different predetermined height to avoid possible tall obstacles in its homeward path.
  
• Auto-Land Sequence is triggered if pilot fails to land after an extended battery low status.
  

INFINITY 9 OCTOCOPTER SPECIFICATIONS

• Motor to Motor Dimensions: 49.5" (1,260mm) octocopter frame
  
• Wingspan Dimension: 66.5" (1,690mm) propeller tip to tip
  
  
• Height: 8" to 24" (205mm to 610mm) depending on gimbal and skid landing configuration
  
• 8 x Brushless Motors: 48mm x 24mm, optimized KV, triple Japanese bearing integration & dynamically balanced
  
• Proprietary Dynamic Cooling Motor Bells & Propeller Bases
  
  
• 8 x ESC Modules: 60A SimonK with specialized cooling & multi-rotor algorithm
  
• 8 x Propellers: 17" carbon fiber, high profile, dual-point mount
  
• Proprietary Dynamic Cooling Motor Bell & Propeller Implementation
  
  
• Optimal Payload: 12-18 lbs (Although capable of carrying higher payloads, an optimal 15 lbs payload is recommended.)
  
• All in Weight: 22-28 lbs depending on payload & batteries
  
• Flight Time: 12-20 minutes depending on payload & batteries
  
• Transmitter & Receiver Recommendation: 2.4GHz with 3 Position Switches, Minimum 6-Channels for Pilot & Minimum 4-Channels for Cameraman
  
  
• Single Operator Transmitter & Receiver Recommendation: Pilot = Futaba 14SG & R7008SB x Qty2
  
  
• Dual Operators Transmitter & Receiver Recommendation: Pilot = Spektrum DX8 & AR8000 or Futaba 14SG & R7008SB, Cameraman = Spektrum DX7S & AR8000 or Walkera Devo 10 & RX1002
  
  
• Long Distance Operations: 4,224 feet (.8miles) to 6,336 feet (1.2miles) (Using Spektrum DX8/DX18 & Futaba 14SG)
  
  
• FPV Recommendation: 5.8GHz Video Transmitter & Video Receiver + Monitor or Goggles
  
• Wind Tolerance: 35MPH
  

DJI NAZA-M V2 MULTI-ROTOR STABILIZATION CONTROLLER[URL="http://www.wowhobbies.com/djinazammultirotorautopilotv2withgps.aspx"]
[/URL]

• Support Multi-Rotor: Quad-Rotor I4, X4/ Hex-Rotor I6, X6, IY6, Y6/
  Octo-rotor I8，V8，X8
  
• Supported ESC Output: 400Hz Refresh Frequency
  
• Recommended Transmitter: PCM or 2.4GHz with minimum 4 channels
  
• Working Voltage Range: MC: 4.8V~5.5V
  
• Working Voltage Range: PMU input: 7.4V to 26.0V (recommend 2S to 6S Lipo)
  
  
• Power Consumption: MAX 3.15W (0.25A@12.6V), Normal: 1.638W (0.13A@12.6V)
  
• Operating Temperature: -10 ~ 50 degree Celsius
  
• Assistant Software System Requirement: Windows XP sp3 / Windows 7 / Windows 8
  
• Maximum Yaw Angular Velocity: 200/s
  
• Maximum Tilt Angle: 45
  
• Ascent / Descent: +-6m/s
  
• MC: 27g
  
• GPS/Compass: 27g
  
  
• PMU: 28g
  
• LED: 13g
  
  
• Dimensions: MC: 45.5mm x 32.5mm x 18.5mm, GPS/Compass 46mm (diameter) x 10mm, PMU 39.5mm x 27.5mm x 10.0mm, LED 25mm x 25mm x 7.0mm
  
  
• Built-in Functions: Three Modes Auto-pilot, Enhanced Failsafe, Low Voltage Protection, S-Bus Receiver Support, PPM Receiver Support, 2-Axis Gimbal Support
  

DJI A2 MULTI-ROTOR STABILIZATION CONTROLLER

• Supported Multi-Rotor: Quad-Rotor: +4,x4; Hex-Rotor +6,x6,Y6,Rev Y6; Octo-Rotor +8,x8,V8
  
• Supported ESC Output: 400Hz refresh frequency
  
• Supported Transmitter for Built-in Receiver: Futaba FASST Series and DJI DESST Series
  
• Supported External Receiver: Futaba S-Bus, S-Bus2, DSM2
  
• Recommended Battery: 2S ~ 6S LiPo
  
• Operating Temperature: -5°C to +60°C
  
• Assistant Software System Requirement: Windows XP SP3 / 7 /8 (32 or 64 bit)
  
• Other DJI Products Supported: Z15,H3-2D,iOSD,2.4G Data Link,S800 EVO
  

• Hovering Accuracy (In GPS Mode): Vertical: ± 0.5m; Horizontal: ± 1.5m
  
• Max Yaw Angular Velocity: 150 deg/s
  
• Max Tilt Angle: 35°
  

• Power Consumption: MAX 5W (Typical Value: 0.3A@12.5V
  
• Built-In Functions: Built-in Receiver; Multiple Control Modes; 2-axis Gimbal Supported; Low Voltage Protection; PC & Bluetooth Ground Station
  
• Built-In Functions: External Receiver Supported; Intelligent Orientation Control; Sound Alarm; 4 Configurable Output
  
• Total Weight: Total Weight: <= 224g(overall)
  
• Flight Controller Dimensions: 54mm x 39mm x 14.9mm
  
• IMU Dimensions: 41.3mm x 30.5mm x 26.3mm
  
• GPS-Compass Pro Dimensions: 62mm (diameter) x 14.3mm
  
• LED-BTU-I Dimensions: 30mm x 30mm x 7.9mm
  
• PMU Dimensions: 39.5mm x 27.6mm x 9.8mm
  

• 2.4GHz DSMX Transmitter with 8 Channels
  
• AR8000 Receiver Package with 8 Channels
  
• Main Receiver & Satellite Receiver Strategically Placed for Signal Path Diversity
  
• TM1000 Telemetry Installed for Updated Flight Battery Status to Trigger Low Battery Alarm
  
• Reliable Standard & Long Distance of 1 to 1.2 Mile
  
• 2013's #1 Selling & User Friendly Transmitter
  

• 2.4GHz DSMX Transmitter with 9 Channels
  
• AR9020 Receiver Package with 9 Channels
  
• Main Receiver & 2x Satellite Receivers Strategically Placed for Signal Path Diversity
  
• TM1000 Telemetry Installed for Updated Flight Battery Status to Trigger Low Battery Alarm
  
• Reliable Standard & Long Distance of 1 to 1.2 Mile
  
• Improved Robust Antenna for durability
  
  
• 2014's #1 Selling & User Friendly Transmitter
  

• 2.4GHz FASSTEST Transmitter with 14 Channels
  
• R7800SB Bi-Directional Receiver with 8 Channels (Optional: R6106HFC Receiver for 6 additional channels)
  
• S.Bus2 Bi-Directional Protocol for Additional Servos, Telemetry & Other Auxiliary Functions
  
• Telemetry Voltage Sensor Installed for Updated Flight Battery Status to Trigger Low Battery Alarm
  
• Ultra Reliable Standard & Long Distance of 1 to 1.2 Mile (Upgradable for even longer range
  
• Overwhelmingly Recommended by Professional RC Pilot Groups
  
• Upgradable from 8 to 14 channels with optional 2nd receiver (Especially suited to unlimited 360 panning on single pilot set ups.)
  
  

• Super Compact at 1"x1"x1" Approximate Dimension
  
• Extremely Light
  
• Convenient 2-way Tape Mounting facilitates an easy way to change PFV location.
  
  
• For FPV Piloting: 600TVL camera is hard mounted on the octocopter's frame so pilot can see the video's tilt & roll action of the octocopter.
  
  
• For Framing Videos: 600TVL camera is mounted on the bottom of the brushless gimbal which is aligned with the Hero 3 on the gimbal.
  

• Canon 5D Mark ii/iii, 6D, 7D, 60D, 70D & Nikon D800
  
• Requires AV200 Auto-Stabilized Gyro Based Gimbal
  

• Isolate camera & gimbal from high frequency vibrations
  
• Prevent Rolling Shutter, the Major Cause of Jello Effects
  
• Extra Thick Carbon Fiber Mounting Plate
  

• Precision Smooth Movement for Professional DSLR Performance
  
• Selectable Gimbal Auto-Stabilization Modes
  
• Auto-Stabilized Tilt-Axis & Roll-Axis
  
• Pilot or Cameraman Controlled Tilt-Axis & Unlimited 360 Pan-Axis
  
• Maximum 177mm Camera Mounting Width
  
• Examples of DSLR cameras supported: Canon 5D Mark ii/iii, 6D/7D/60D/70D, Nikon D800
  
• Optional Dedicated Cameraman Transmitter & Receiver Setups
  

• Lighter TVL camera is easy to set up and promotes longer flight time.
  
  
• Composite video output & standardized plug enable simple connection to video transmitter.
  
  
• Hard mounted on the Hexacopter, TVL camera can be used for FPV piloting & surveillance.
  
  
• Mounted on under or above the gimbal, TVL camera can be aligned with DSLR camera for framing your videos and stills.
  

• You can see exactly what the DSLR camera is capturing for framing your video and stills.
  
• Special cable connector is provided for video transmitter to plug into the DSLR camera's video out port
  
• Examples of DSLR cameras supported: Canon 5D Mark ii/iii, 6D/7D/60D/70D, Nikon D800
  

• Datalink which are transmitters and receivers those enable the flight controller to communicate with the ground station.
  
• The ground station is basically an iPad with a multiple way point software installed and integrated to work with Google Earth.
  
• 16 Waypoints
  
  

• Datalink which are transmitters and receivers those enable the flight controller to communicate with the ground station.
  
• The ground station is basically a PC with a multiple way point software installed and integrated to work with Google Earth.
  
• 50 Waypoints