November 9th, Air Force officials briefed Capitol Hill staffers on the possibility of locating a “Remote Split Operations Squadron” at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. This would be a much-sought new mission for the 107th Airlift Wing which the Pentagon proposed shuttering last spring. Though the change of mission would mean a reduction in personnel, local lawmakers are thrilled that the Pentagon had officially reversed course and is now proposing a cutting-edge mission for the National Guard facility.
Under the proposed mission, the MQ-9 Reaper may find a new home at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.
Click the link below to read the complete story in The Buffalo News
Niagara Falls air base may host drones
Blogger’s Note:
Over the next several years we are going to see an inevitable if not essential shift in our military hardware from manned to unmanned vehicles. This will occur for many reasons… economics, enhanced mission capability, safety and if for no other reason than to take young Americans out of harm’s way. The introduction and growth of unmanned vehicles in a peacetime army means the local Guard, Reserve and CONUS military bases will need to train, operate and maintain these vehicles. Unmanned aircraft will need to operate in the civil environment and will ultimately become part of the American fabric.
For more than a decade the American public has been told how “drones” have been successfully deployed in the war theaters. The media has reported their use for intelligence gathering, for tracking the enemy, and we’ve been shown in vivid 1080p HD how ‘drones’ have been used to identify and eliminate targeted individuals. It’s no wonder there’s a considerable amount of trepidation concerning the introduction of unmanned aircraft into the civil environment, and the media’s not helping. Even in this good news story about the saving of a local National Guard facility, a story that could be repeated several times across the country, the media can’t resist the term “drone” for its dramatic and headline grabbing effect.
In addition to the increased presence of military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as the FAA has named them, there is an emerging multi-billion dollar civil UAS market waiting in the wings with an industry just chomping at the bit to get unmanned aircraft in the air. Given our current national economy, this is a much needed shot in the arm. However, this cannot and will not happen until the confidence, trust and acceptance of UAS is instilled in our communities. Though admittedly there are many other barriers to accomplishing this, as long as the media insists on using this term, this endeavor will continue to drone on.
Rich Hanson
AMA Government and Regulatory Affairs