90.9 WBUR - Boston's NPR news station
Top Stories:
PLEDGE NOW
Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Drones: The Next Arms Race

The U.S. is developing aircraft carrier-based drones that could provide a crucial edge as it tries to counter China's military rise. (AP)

The U.S. is developing aircraft carrier-based drones that could provide a crucial edge as it tries to counter China's military rise. (AP)

The United States has a near monopoly on armed drones, and it uses the technology aggressively in the hunt for Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Yemen.

But the U.S. could soon lose its edge, as both China and Iran test drones, with groups like Hezbollah and Mexican drug cartels lining up as potential customers.

Security experts have also raised concerns that other countries could follow America’s lead, and deploy drones across national borders in the interest of national security.

Guest:

We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

  • Heatherj_3

    I have only one thought… Terminater.
    We are so going to destroy ourselves.
                                            – Heather  from Ida,MI

  • Heatherj_3

    Okay, I have more to say. Is every one crazy? We are creating death machines and highly inteligent  ones at that. this is total insanity! Skynet lives… 

  • Anonymous

    Natural progression of technology, accept it, we aren’t stop for you.

  • Aaa

    In the segment introduction the phrase “can be armed to drop bombs” is used. While a select few UAV’s can drop bombs, the vast majority of armed UAVs fire missiles and do not drop bombs. An important distinction.

With Sponsorship from:
Accelerating the pace of engineering and science
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Two men go through the damage surrounding the Moore Medical Center and damaged vehicals after a tornado moves through Moore, Okla. on Monday, May 20, 2013. (Alonzo Adams/AP)

Kelly Frey, the editor of Oklahoma’s big daily newspaper The Oklahoman, is from El Reno, Okla. and describes what it’s like to grow up in “tornado alley.”

Comment | more »
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Adam Scudder, Trisha Milittle, Tamra Jones and Bridget Kline, from left, take shelter at Pelican's Restaurant in northern Oklahoma City as a tornado passes nearby Friday night, May 9, 2003. (Andrew Laker/AP)

Are home-based shelters really enough to hold back an F5 category tornado, which can have winds upwards of 300 miles per hour? And what about people who don’t have home-based shelters?

3 Comments | more »
Monday, May 20, 2013
(watergategame.com)

If you find yourself waxing nostalgic for the kind of 1970s investigative journalism that led to the Watergate hearings, you can now relive the chills and thrills of the Washington Post investigation.

Comment | more »
From Twitter