The Police NSW Government are desperately trying to stop or drastically regulate the use of weaponized drones, which has become a loophole in equipping your drone with weaponry. Quite some number of videos on YouTube have shown how easy it is to install and use handguns on a drone.
Only when these remote-controlled weaponized drones fire at innocent people that it becomes a crime or illegal to operate. It has, however, been stated that the laws and regulation set by the government on the use of handgun-equipped drones or even stronger weaponry would be reviewed in order to curb the risk of criminals or even terrorist taking advantage of this loophole. Inspite of the available countermeasures for illegally flown drones, authorities are still studying the laws on unmanned aerial vehicles in an attempt to close the loophole.
Turning Normal Drones Into Weaponized Drones
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Youtube
An Internet search by The Sunday Telegraph found many tutorial videos of armed drones on YouTube, including a video clip of a handgun being fired from a makeshift drone by an 18-year-old man in the United States, which alerted the country’s Federal Aviation Administration to instigate an investigation of the issue last year.
The manager of Rise Above Custom Drone Solutions operations, Ben Grear, whose Australian company customizes drones for individuals and businesses, said installing a handgun to a drone and operate is not much of a difficult task to do.
“It would just be a matter of buying a servo or a little gear that goes back and forth so you can send a signal that moves the lever, then lining up the lever so it’s near the trigger,” Grear said. “Anyone at home with a little bit of knowledge could probably accomplish that at this stage and it’s pretty easy to find out online. We’ve already seen in the (United) States where people are doing exactly that.”
This US teenager had sparked serious investigation by installing a pistol to his drone. For an 18-year-old to be able to do such shows the extent at which any average individual could as well do the same.
Grear said he has not been approached by local customer to add weaponry to his drone and “wouldn’t want to touch it if it was legal or not.”
Mick Plotecki, NSW Firearms Squad Commander, said police were always reviewing existing constitutional laws in consultation with the government to take care of these issues as they appear.
“Police continue to monitor emerging trends in relation to the legal and illegal use of firearms both here and overseas,” he said.
A spokeswoman for Deputy Premier and Police Minister Troy Grant confirmed the government was considering changing the laws to prohibit attaching guns to drones with “public safety” as the number one priority.
On a side note, they should probably just attach a GPS tracking device for drones instead of guns. That would be safer. Plus, it also has added monitoring benefits.
ABC News
“The government is reviewing the NSW law in this area, and how it relates to Commonwealth civil aviation law, in consultation with other jurisdictions,” the spokeswoman said. “Firearms need to be registered and licensed and used only according to the genuine reason for its possession.”
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