Britain is developing its own drones with the help of Israeli technicians.
H | 18.10.2010 14:22
Although the use of armed drones is still relatively new, FoR has a have a number of serious concerns not least because there is a picture beginning to emerge of high civilian casualties. In addition the use of armed drones to target specific individuals could amount to summary or arbitrary execution, and currently drone operators are making life and death decisions when they are emotionally and mentally exhausted by long hours and regular schedule changes.
“Equally discomfiting is the ‘PlayStation mentality’ that surrounds drone killings. Young military personnel raised on a diet of video games now kill real people remotely using joysticks. Far removed from the human concequences of their actions, how will this generation of fighters value the right to life? How will commanders and policymakers keep themselves immune from the deceptively antiseptic nature of drone killings? Will killing be a more attractive option than capture? Will the standards for intelligence-gathering to justify a killing slip? Will the number of acceptable ‘collateral’ civilian deaths increase?”
In a £899 million programme implemented by a private company, Thales UK, tests are taking place in Aberporth.
.In July 2004, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that Thales UK had been selected as the preferred bidder for the Watchkeeper tactical unmanned air vehicle (TUAV) system. Major flight trials of the Watchkeeper were completed in June 2009, allowing for further ground system and flight tests in the UK. These test flights moved to Parc Aberporth in West Wales in late 2009. The Watchkeeper system will entre service in the British armed forces Royal Artillery in 2011.’ Thales website.
Another company working with thales is QinetiQ, a weapons development company particularly connected with cluster bombs.
On 28th May 2009 its website stated:
‘QinetiQ readies Aberporth UAV centre for Watchkeeper – Watchkeeper trials scheduled to commence in the Autumn. A milestone in the £899 MOD project to develop the Watchkeeper Unmanned Ais System has been reached on schedule. QinetiQ, working closely with other stakeholders, has delivered the necessary infrastructure and facilities at ParcAberporth, Ceredigion, South Wales, as part of its ongoing £5m support contract – which means the watchkeeper trials programme can commence here in the Autumn.
Thales, the Watchkeeper prime contractor, is now clear to migrate the trials programme to the UK by October 2009. Initial live flying elements of the operator training commenced in Spring 2010.’
It was here that Israeli military personnel were involved in the training.
Systems acceptance was waiting for the nod from the MOD following the ‘defence’ review this month (October 2010).
Watch this forth coming spending review for more details.
This is the ONLY PLACE in Europe where sucu activities are allowed. 40,000 people live beneath these testing areas in Creedigion, Carmarthenshire and Powys.
It is up to us, the people, to oppose all things that divide and destroy,
All things that create hatred, enmity and vengeance.
In the context of Aberporth – all attempts to make war and oppression more effective, and to romanticise such actions that aim to make them respectable must be opposed.
“Equally discomfiting is the ‘PlayStation mentality’ that surrounds drone killings. Young military personnel raised on a diet of video games now kill real people remotely using joysticks. Far removed from the human concequences of their actions, how will this generation of fighters value the right to life? How will commanders and policymakers keep themselves immune from the deceptively antiseptic nature of drone killings? Will killing be a more attractive option than capture? Will the standards for intelligence-gathering to justify a killing slip? Will the number of acceptable ‘collateral’ civilian deaths increase?”
In a £899 million programme implemented by a private company, Thales UK, tests are taking place in Aberporth.
.In July 2004, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that Thales UK had been selected as the preferred bidder for the Watchkeeper tactical unmanned air vehicle (TUAV) system. Major flight trials of the Watchkeeper were completed in June 2009, allowing for further ground system and flight tests in the UK. These test flights moved to Parc Aberporth in West Wales in late 2009. The Watchkeeper system will entre service in the British armed forces Royal Artillery in 2011.’ Thales website.
Another company working with thales is QinetiQ, a weapons development company particularly connected with cluster bombs.
On 28th May 2009 its website stated:
‘QinetiQ readies Aberporth UAV centre for Watchkeeper – Watchkeeper trials scheduled to commence in the Autumn. A milestone in the £899 MOD project to develop the Watchkeeper Unmanned Ais System has been reached on schedule. QinetiQ, working closely with other stakeholders, has delivered the necessary infrastructure and facilities at ParcAberporth, Ceredigion, South Wales, as part of its ongoing £5m support contract – which means the watchkeeper trials programme can commence here in the Autumn.
Thales, the Watchkeeper prime contractor, is now clear to migrate the trials programme to the UK by October 2009. Initial live flying elements of the operator training commenced in Spring 2010.’
It was here that Israeli military personnel were involved in the training.
Systems acceptance was waiting for the nod from the MOD following the ‘defence’ review this month (October 2010).
Watch this forth coming spending review for more details.
This is the ONLY PLACE in Europe where sucu activities are allowed. 40,000 people live beneath these testing areas in Creedigion, Carmarthenshire and Powys.
It is up to us, the people, to oppose all things that divide and destroy,
All things that create hatred, enmity and vengeance.
In the context of Aberporth – all attempts to make war and oppression more effective, and to romanticise such actions that aim to make them respectable must be opposed.
H
Original article on IMC Bristol:
http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/695348