UK military firms in bid for 'drones' take-off

26 Jun 2012, 11:00 am   -   Source: Channel 4 News
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The civilian use of unmanned aircraft has grown in recent years but debate has begun in Britain as aerospace companies push to have restrictions on their use lifted.

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British businesses have found countless uses for unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, from environmental surveying to mapping of mines and quarries. They've been tested by police forces and are expected to be deployed during the London Olympics.

And with increasingly sophisticated technology, functions that are normally performed by a pilot are now being done by software.

Defence company BAE has begun test flights of an unmanned jet which it says can reach 400 kilometres an hour, predict bad weather, avoid obstacles like other planes and perform emergency landings.

The company is now campaigning for use of air space reserved for piloted crafts, but aviation authorities are concerned about drone safety.

The bid comes amid heated debate over the use of 'drone' technology for targeted assassinations in Yemen and Pakistan.

Channel 4 News' Girish Juneja reports

Great Britain , Drones

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