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Great White North
Drone set to begin patrolling northern U.S. border
2008-12-09
FARGO, North Dakota: Federal Customs and Border Protection authorities are preparing to launch unmanned aircraft patrols from this state, the first time such monitoring will occur along the northern border of the United States.

A Predator B aircraft that can fly at 260 miles an hour - it was delivered to Grand Forks on Saturday - will make runs along the northern edge of North Dakota using sensors that can provide video and detect heat and changes to landscape, customs officials said.

The plane, which is about 66 feet long, or 20 meters, weighs more than 10,000 pounds, or 4,500 kilograms. It can fly as high as 50,000 feet and can stay aloft for 18 hours. The first missions, designed to locate people crossing the border illegally or avoiding ports of entry, are expected to start next month.

Similar aircraft have patrolled the nation's southern border since 2005, where they have helped lead to the discovery of more than 18,000 pounds of marijuana and 4,000 illegal immigrants, a spokesman for the agency said.

John Stanton, executive director of the service's national air security operations, said the authorities decided to move to the northern border because enough aircraft had become available. (The base cost for the Predator is about $10 million.)
Everything must be well under control along the Mexican border.
Posted by:Besoeker

#9  Joe, why would China oggle a pigeon on the roof (1/2 CONUS),when they almost have a wren in their fist (Siberia). In 20, they'll have it almost by default.
Posted by: Spike Uniter   2008-12-09 20:46  

#8  Lest HISPANIA fergits, CHINA > has declared 1/2 or more of CONUS-NORAM as DESIRED "FUTURE LIVING SPACE"

It could be interesting to see - the future AZTLAN versus future CHINESE STATES OF [NORTH] AMERICA???

ALso, REDDIT [old] > [IIRC]MYSTIFYING THE PIRI REIS MAP - DID MUSLIMS/OTTOMAN EMPIRE ONCE DESIRE THE CONQUEST OF LATIN AMERICA; + [paraph] DID ISLAM/MUSLIMS DISCOVER AND EXPLORE THE SOUTHERN AND EAST COASTS OF THE USA, CARIBBEAN???

Not counting the CHINESE + VIKINGS +............

D *** NG IT, MORIARITY, OUR SCHOOLBOOKS NEVER TOLD US AMERICA = AMERIKA WAS ALSO ISHMAEL!
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-12-09 19:58  

#7  Wel-l-l, the US Govt. = Congress is doing little to nothing serious to stop the flow of illegals into Amerika, so why should Citizens of the USSA = USRofA be surprised when pro-illegal/Hispanic Netters proclaim the HISPANIC-LATINO
"RECONQUISTA" = "ATZLAN" WILL BE OVERT AND ACCOMPLISHED IN APPROXI 20 YEARS, TO INCLUDE AS SUPPOR BY PERVASIVE US TAX-PAYER FUNDED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE TO SAID SAME ILLEGALS, aka GETTING THE ENEMY TO DESTROY HIMSELF???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2008-12-09 19:44  

#6  So, when do they start arming those drones? It would add a little spice to things.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon   2008-12-09 13:09  

#5  It's about time. Several years ago, a news crew and the Minutemen, I believe, set up cameras with night vision to see how much cross border traffic there was. They were astounded, as many were drug couriers freely driving jeeps across, just walking across on the honor system to check in with the BP, and still others taking boats across the Great Lakes. Besides the Muslim population, Canada has very lax immigration policies and has taken many refugees over the decades, with a huge Asian population in the west.
Posted by: Thealing Borgia 122   2008-12-09 11:40  

#4  It is there to keep poutine out of the US.

Actually, given the large number of Muslim transplants allowed into Canada (some of whom eneded up in Gitmo and other capture facilities), and Canada's pantywaist treatment thereof, keeping an eye on that border is importatnt.

Posted by: OldSpook   2008-12-09 11:16  

#3  This is way overdue. The actual number of incursions discovered will probably be very informative. You ever been to N. Dakota? How's about northern Montana? I've been on a coupla hunting trips up there years ago. Wide, wide open. Tough terrain, but wide open. We've needed this for a long time.
Posted by: Woozle Elmeter 2700   2008-12-09 10:48  

#2  Look there- the Snowbacks are massing, South East of Winnipeg.
Posted by: Grunter   2008-12-09 10:48  

#1  The back bacon threat.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2008-12-09 10:16  

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