Air Warriors (2014–…): Season 3, Episode 3 - Drones - full transcript
Drones: they watch, analyze, even kill without ever risking a pilot's life. These unmanned aerial vehicles can be flown from anywhere on the globe and can get into places never before ...
Narrator: FROM SCIENCE FICTION
TO A NICHE TECHNOLOGY...
Man: WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT WE WERE GETTING INTO.
Narrator: ...TO THE WAVE
OF THE FUTURE.
Janet Shamlian:
AMAZON IS MAKING BIG PROMISES
ABOUT EVEN FASTER DELIVERY
IN THE FUTURE, USING DRONES.
Narrator: DRONES CAN BE
TRAINED TO DO ANYTHING...
EVEN KILL.
Man: THE WEAPON FOLLOWS
THAT LASER ENERGY
ALL THE WAY TO THE ENEMY.
Narrator: NOW, WE BRING YOU
THE INSIDE STORY
OF A REVOLUTION...
Lester Holt:
THE USE OF UNMANNED DRONES
IS BECOMING
MORE AND MORE COMMON.
Narrator: ...THAT FILLS
THE SKIES WITH ENDLESS EYES.
Man: YOU'RE GOING TO GET
THE LANDSCAPE OF EVERYTHING.
Narrator: THE FUTURE
OF FLYING ROBOTS IS HERE.
Man: WE MANAGED TO CHANGE
A LOT OF MINDS
ABOUT WHAT A DRONE,
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT CAN DO.
[EXPLOSION]
¶
Narrator: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001.
THE UNITED STATES
IS UNDER SIEGE.
Reporter: A MAJOR DISASTER
IS OCCURRING IN NEW YORK CITY
THIS MORNING.
Narrator: AL QAEDA MILITANTS
TURN FOUR COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS
INTO FLYING BOMBS.
Tom Brokaw:
THOUSANDS LIKELY DEAD.
DOWNTOWN NEW YORK IN CHAOS.
SCORES OF POLICE,
FIREFIGHTERS WERE IN THE AREA
WHEN THE BUILDINGS CAME DOWN.
Narrator:
SUSPICION QUICKLY FALLS
ON AL QAEDA MASTERMIND
OSAMA BIN LADEN.
HE HIDES IN AFGHANISTAN.
THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES
PUT A WAR PLAN INTO ACTION.
THEY CALL IT
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.
President Bush: ON MY ORDERS
THE UNITED STATES MILITARY
HAS BEGUN STRIKES
AGAINST AL QAEDA
TERRORIST TRAINING CAMPS
AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS
OF THE TALIBAN REGIME
IN AFGHANISTAN.
Narrator: IT LOOKS LIKE THE WAR
WILL GO BY THE BOOK:
AIR STRIKES WITH GROUND TROOPS
SOON TO FOLLOW.
BUT THE AIR FORCE ALSO SENDS
A NEW SECRET WEAPON:
THE PREDATOR.
THE PREDATOR--
IT'S THE MOST COMBAT-PROVEN
REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT
IN THE WORLD...
A MACHINE DESIGNED
TO PUT FEAR IN THE SKY.
Jim Cluff:
WE ARE STANDING IN FRONT
OF THE GENERAL ATOMICS-BUILT
MQ-1 PREDATOR,
OR WHAT IS COMMONLY
REFERRED TO AS THE DRONE.
BUT WE IN THE AIR FORCE
REFER TO THIS
AS A REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR
IS 27 FEET LONG, 55 FEET WIDE,
AND 2,200 POUNDS--
SO LIGHT THAT IT ONLY NEEDS
A FOUR-CYLINDER ROTAX ENGINE.
Jim Cluff: IN ADDITION
TO PROPELLING PREDATORS,
ROTAX ALSO MAKES
SNOWMOBILE ENGINES.
SO MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE ACTUALLY
BEEN RIDING ON A MACHINE
THAT ALSO POWERS A PREDATOR.
Narrator: ITS MAX SPEED
IS JUST 135 MILES PER HOUR.
BUT THE PREDATOR DOESN'T NEED
TO GET ANYWHERE FAST.
WHEN THE AIR FORCE WANTS ONE,
THEY JUST SEND IT IN A BOX.
Cluff: WE CAN PACK IT UP AND
TAKE IT WHEREVER WE NEED TO GO.
THE WINGS COME OFF,
AND WE SLIDE IT INTO
WHAT WE CALL THE CASKET.
WE PUT THE TOP ON IT,
PUT IT ON A C-130
OR A BIGGER AIRPLANE,
AND IT CAN BE FLOWN
ANYWHERE AROUND THE WORLD.
Narrator: OCTOBER 7, 2001.
AFGHANISTAN.
THE FIRST DAY OF THE WAR.
20,000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND,
A PREDATOR MAKES ITS WAY
ACROSS THE SKY.
Scott Swanson: WE HAD BEGUN
FLYING MISSIONS IN AFGHANISTAN
AS EARLY AS
THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER
IN PREPARATION FOR THE AIR WAR.
Narrator: MAJOR SCOTT SWANSON
WAS THE LEAD PILOT
FOR THE PREDATOR PROGRAM.
Swanson: WE WERE PROVIDING
INTELLIGENCE AND RECONNAISSANCE
FOR THOSE STRIKE FORCES
COMING IN.
WE WERE LOOKING AT THINGS
LIKE THE ACTIVITY
AT THE AIR DEFENSE SITES,
THE RADARS, THE MISSILES,
TROOP MOVEMENTS,
THE FIGHTER ACTIVITY--
ALL OF THE PIECES AND PARTS
THAT GO TOGETHER
FOR A CONVENTIONAL AIR WAR.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR'S
DOING SOMETHING ELSE, TOO:
LOOKING FOR TERRORISTS.
TODAY'S ITS LUCKY DAY.
Swanson: RELATIVELY LATE
IN THE MORNING
WE WERE GIVEN A SET OF
COORDINATES TO GO CHECK OUT.
SURE ENOUGH, WHEN WE GOT THERE,
WE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE A CONVOY
THAT ENDED UP BEING MULLAH OMAR,
THE LEADER OF THE TALIBAN.
WE KNEW THAT WE HAD
A HIGH-VALUE TARGET.
Narrator: MULLAH MOHAMMAD OMAR
IS ONE OF OSAMA BIN LADEN'S
TOP ALLIES.
THERE'S A $10 MILLION BOUNTY
ON HIS HEAD.
Swanson:
WE SAW SECURITY DETAILS,
VEHICLES, ARMED GUARDS--
EVERYTHING THAT TOLD US THAT
THIS WAS SOMEBODY IMPORTANT.
Narrator: FOR SWANSON,
FINDING OMAR
IS A CASE OF DEJA VU.
HE'S HAD A TERRORIST LEADER
IN HIS SIGHTS BEFORE.
Swanson:
IT WAS THE FALL OF 2000,
AND WE'D BEEN FLYING
PREDATOR MISSIONS
DEEP INTO AFGHANISTAN
AND SAW A GROUP
OF PEOPLE GATHERING
AND A VERY TALL MAN IN WHITE
EXIT ONE OF THE BUILDINGS.
IT WAS REALLY OBVIOUS
TO THOSE OF US WATCHING
THAT IT HAD TO BE
OSAMA BIN LADEN.
Narrator: BIN LADEN
IS ONE OF AMERICA'S
TEN MOST-WANTED TERRORISTS.
FINDING HIM SHOULD BE
A MOMENT OF TRIUMPH.
BUT ALL SWANSON CAN DO IS WATCH.
Swanson: UNFORTUNATELY,
WE WERE NOT ARMED,
SO NOTHING HAPPENED.
Narrator: IT'S A MISTAKE
THAT THE PENTAGON
IS DETERMINED NOT TO MAKE AGAIN.
Swanson: THE PROGRAM
TO ARM THE PREDATOR
WAS ALREADY IN PROGRESS,
BUT IT WAS ROLLING ALONG
VERY SLOWLY.
THE ABILITY
TO PUT EYES ON TARGET
AND NOT BEING ABLE
TO DO ANYTHING
WAS A REAL IMPETUS TO FAST-TRACK
THE ARMING OF THE PREDATOR.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR WAS
INVENTED FOR SURVEILLANCE.
BUT THE UPDATED VERSION IS
DESIGNED TO LIVE UP TO ITS NAME.
IT HUNTS AND KILLS.
ITS WEAPON OF CHOICE: HELLFIRE.
[POP]
Man: ITEM AWAY, ITEM AWAY.
Cluff: THE MQ-1B PREDATOR
HAS TWO WEAPONS STATIONS
AND CAN CARRY TWO AGM-114
HELLFIRE MISSILES.
¶
THESE MISSILES ARE LOADED
ON AN M-299 LAUNCHER,
AND THE MISSILES EASILY SLIDE
ONTO THE LAUNCHER.
Narrator:
TWO PEOPLE CONTROL THE PREDATOR:
A PILOT
AND A SENSOR OPERATOR
IN CHARGE OF TARGETING.
Cluff: THE PILOT
IS ALSO CONSIDERED
THE MISSION COMMANDER.
HE IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE OVERALL EFFECTIVE
CONDUCT OF THE MISSION,
TO INCLUDE
THE RELEASE OF WEAPONS.
THE SENSOR OPERATOR
CONTROLS THE VARIOUS
SENSOR PACKAGES ON THE AIRPLANE
TO INCLUDE THE MULTI-SPECTRAL
TARGETING SYSTEM, OR MTS BALL.
Narrator: THIS MULTI-SPECTRAL
TARGETING SYSTEM
IS AT THE HEART OF ALL
THE PREDATOR'S OPERATIONS.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS.
THE PREDATOR AIMS
A LASER OR INFRARED BEAM
FROM THE MTS BALL
LOCATED NEAR
THE NOSE OF THE PLANE.
THIS BEAM LANDS
ON THE TARGET AND PULSES
TO ATTRACT THE LASER SEEKERS
AT THE END
OF EACH HELLFIRE MISSILE.
THE PREDATOR USES THE BEAM
TO CALCULATE
TRAJECTORY AND DISTANCE.
Cluff: WE CALL THAT
LASING THE TARGET.
THAT LASING INFORMATION
IS VERY ACCURATE, DOWN TO FEET.
THAT INFORMATION IS PUMPED
BACK TO THE WEAPON,
THE WEAPON IS RELEASED
OFF THE AIRPLANE,
AND THEN THE WEAPON
FOLLOWS THAT LASER ENERGY
ALL THE WAY TO THE ENEMY.
[EXPLOSIONS]
Narrator: IN 2001,
CAPTAIN SWANSON
AND HIS SENSOR OPERATOR
MONITOR THEIR PREDATOR
FROM A NORTHERN VIRGINIA BUNKER.
7,000 MILES AWAY IN AFGHANISTAN,
THE DRONE HOVERS OVER TALIBAN
LEADER MULLAH OMAR'S COMPOUND.
ON BOARD: TWO HELLFIRE MISSILES.
IT'S A TWO-PUNCH SYSTEM
NEVER BEFORE TESTED IN BATTLE.
Swanson: WE WERE
OPERATING A SYSTEM
THAT STILL HAD ROUGH EDGES.
WE WERE ESSENTIALLY TEST PILOTS
FLYING IN COMBAT.
Narrator: SUDDENLY,
OMAR AND HIS BODYGUARDS
STEP OUT OF THE BUILDING.
THEY CLIMB INTO A CAR
AND HEAD TOWARD TOWN.
¶
Swanson: WE FOLLOWED THAT
VEHICLE OUT INTO A COMPOUND.
HE AND HIS PARTY WENT INSIDE,
AND A SECURITY DETAIL
REMAINED OUTSIDE.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR
CONTINUES TO CIRCLE,
EXPECTING AIR FORCE F-14s
TO COME IN AND FINISH THE JOB.
Swanson: WE THOUGHT
THAT AT THIS POINT
AIR STRIKE WOULD BE CALLED IN
IN ORDER TO TAKE OUT
THIS HIGH-VALUE TARGET.
Narrator:
BUT THE FAST-FLYING JETS
AND THEIR THOUSAND-POUND BOMBS
MAY PUT INNOCENT LIVES AT RISK.
Swanson: CENTRAL COMMAND
HAD SPOTTED
SOMETHING IN THE COMPOUND
THAT WAS A CONCERN
IN REGARDS TO COLLATERAL DAMAGE,
AND THE STRIKERS WERE HELD OFF.
IT WAS AT THAT POINT
THAT THE COMMAND CAME DOWN
TO EXECUTE A STRIKE
USING THE HELLFIRE MISSILES
THAT WE CARRIED ON THE WINGS
OF THE PREDATOR.
Narrator: SWANSON
AND HIS SENSOR OPERATOR
GET READY TO FIRE.
Swanson:
THERE WAS A QUIET TENSION
IN THE GROUND CONTROL STATION.
IT WAS A SYSTEM THAT HAD NEVER
BEEN PROVEN IN COMBAT BEFORE.
Narrator:
IF THE PREDATOR'S MISSILES
TAKE INNOCENT LIVES,
THE ENTIRE DRONE PROGRAM
WILL COME UNDER FIRE.
IF THEY SUCCEED,
THEY WILL MAKE HISTORY.
Man: READY TO FIRE
LEFT MISSILE
IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
Narrator: IN AFGHANISTAN,
A PREDATOR HOVERS 20,000 FEET
ABOVE TERRORIST
MULLAH MOHAMMAD OMAR.
THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY,
CAPTAIN SCOTT SWANSON
AND HIS SENSOR OPERATOR
BEGIN A COUNTDOWN.
Man: READY FIRE MISSILE,
LASERS COMING ON.
Swanson: THE SENSOR OPERATOR
HAD THE SECURITY DETAIL
ON THE CROSSHAIRS
ON THE SENSOR BALL.
I'M GETTING READY TO GO THROUGH
THE SWITCH POSITIONS
TO RELEASE THE HELLFIRE.
Man: READY TO FIRE
LEFT MISSILE.
THREE, TWO, ONE.
Swanson: I SQUEEZED THE TRIGGER,
AND THE HELLFIRE
WAS OFF THE RAIL.
¶
YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING
UNTIL THE IMPACT OF THE MISSILE
ON THE TARGET.
[EXPLOSION]
AND AT THAT POINT THE HEAT OF
THE EXPLOSION FILLS THE SCENE.
¶
Narrator: THE HELLFIRE
WIPES OUT OMAR'S ENTOURAGE.
OMAR HIMSELF ESCAPES.
Swanson: THE EMOTIONAL BOND
ON A MISSION LIKE THAT
ISN'T ANY DIFFERENT
THAN SOME OF THE HELICOPTER
MISSIONS THAT I FLEW
THAT YOU COULD SEE, SMELL,
AND LITERALLY TASTE
WHAT WAS GOING ON.
YOU ARE 100%
EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED.
Narrator: SWANSON'S MISSION
IS THE FIRST TIME
AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
USES A HELLFIRE IN COMBAT.
IT USHERS IN A NEW ERA:
THE ERA OF THE DRONE.
Swanson:
WE KNEW AMONGST OURSELVES
THAT THIS WAS A LEAP
IN TECHNOLOGY.
THERE WOULD BE MANY MORE
IN THE COMING DAYS OF THE WAR.
¶
Narrator: DRONES:
NO TECHNOLOGY
IN THE LAST 10 YEARS
HAS CAPTURED THE PUBLIC'S
IMAGINATION, AND ITS FEAR,
SO RAPIDLY.
SUDDENLY, THESE FLYING ROBOTS
SEEM TO BE EVERYWHERE.
THEY'RE IN THE HANDS
OF THE MILITARY...
AND CIVILIANS.
BUT UNMANNED AIRCRAFT ARE FAR
FROM AN OVERNIGHT SENSATION.
Roger Connor: DRONES GO BACK
TO THE DAWN OF POWERED FLIGHT,
EVEN BEFORE THE BEGINNING
OF THE 20th CENTURY.
Narrator: ROGER CONNOR
IS THE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
SYSTEMS CURATOR
FOR THE NATIONAL
AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM.
Connor: THEY GO BACK
TO SAMUEL LANGLEY,
WHO WAS SECRETARY OF
THE SMITHSONIAN IN THE 1890s
AND A PREMIER AERONAUTICAL
RESEARCHER OF THE TIME.
Narrator: IN THE 1890s,
LANGLEY DEVELOPS A SERIES
OF EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT.
THEY'RE WOOD, SILK,
AND PERCALINE FABRIC,
HELD TOGETHER BY WIRE.
HE CALLS THEM AERODROMES--
GREEK FOR "AIR RUNNERS."
Connor: ON MAY 6, 1896,
SAMUEL LANGLEY'S AERODROME 5
WAS LAUNCHED FROM A HOUSEBOAT
ANCHORED IN THE POTOMAC RIVER.
THIS UNGUIDED
AND STEAM-POWERED AIRCRAFT
ACHIEVED A DISTANCE
OF NEARLY HALF A MILE.
Narrator:
IT'S THE LONGEST FLIGHT
OF AN UNPILOTED
MOTORIZED AIRCRAFT.
LANGLEY TRIES TO KEEP HIS
AERODROMES IN THE PUBLIC EYE,
BUT RIVALS ECLIPSE HIS EFFORTS.
Connor: LANGLEY TENDED TO
DISAPPEAR INTO THE BACKGROUND
FAIRLY QUICKLY
AFTER THE WRIGHT BROTHERS'
FLIGHT AT KITTY HAWK.
BEING ABLE TO HAVE A HUMAN
IN THE AIRCRAFT
IS WHAT GETS THE ATTENTION.
¶
Narrator: BY WORLD WAR I,
MANNED FLIGHT IS AN INTEGRAL
PART OF BATTLEFIELD TACTICS...
¶
BUT AT HIGH RISK TO THE PILOTS.
SOME WONDER IF THE BEST WAY
TO PREVENT THE LOSS OF AIRMEN
IS TO REMOVE THE PILOT
ALTOGETHER.
Connor: THERE WERE
A HANDFUL OF INNOVATORS
WHO WERE LOOKING
FOR AN ALTERNATIVE
THAT WOULD NOT BE VULNERABLE
TO AIR DEFENSES IN THE SAME WAY
THAT THE MANNED AIRCRAFT WERE.
Narrator:
ONE OF THOSE INNOVATORS
IS CHARLES KETTERING.
THE MILITARY ENLISTS HIM
IN A TOP SECRET PROJECT:
TO DESIGN AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
THAT CAN ACT AS A FLYING BOMB.
THE AIRCRAFT IS CALLED
"THE KETTERING BUG."
Connor:
THE KETTERING BUG LAUNCHED
BY ROLLING DOWN A TRACK
ON A DOLLY.
WHEN IT BECAME AIRBORNE,
AN AUTOPILOT STEERED IT
ON A CONSTANT COMPASS HEADING.
A TIMER ON BOARD WAS SET
SO THAT WHEN IT TRAVELED
A CERTAIN DISTANCE,
THE ENGINE WOULD CUT OUT
AND IT WOULD FALL FROM THE SKY
WITH ITS LOAD OF EXPLOSIVES.
¶
Narrator: THE TECHNOLOGY
IS REVOLUTIONARY...
WHEN IT WORKS.
¶
Connor: IN REALITY,
THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO ACHIEVE
THEIR OBJECTIVE
OF GOING LONG DISTANCES.
AT ABOUT THE TIME THAT
THEY WERE DEVELOPING THIS,
MANNED BOMBERS
HAD BEGUN TO MATURE
AND WERE MORE FAR CAPABLE
THAN ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE
WITH AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.
THIS ESSENTIALLY MADE THE WHOLE
KETTERING BUG IDEA OBSOLETE.
¶
Narrator: IT ISN'T LONG
BEFORE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
ARE BACK ON THE AGENDA.
THIS TIME, IT'S THE DRONES
THAT ARE THE TARGET.
Connor: THE YEARS LEADING UP
TO WORLD WAR II
SAW A RESURGENCE
IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.
THE PRIMARY MOTIVATION EARLY ON
WAS THEIR USE IN TRAINING
ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNNERS.
Narrator: THE MILITARY TAKES
OBSOLETE FIGHTER PLANES,
ADDS RADIO CONTROL SYSTEMS,
AND BLOWS THEM UP.
Connor: TARGET DRONES
WERE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY
OF TRAINING
ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNNERS
AND GIVING REALISTIC TARGETS TO
PILOTS AND CREWS ON THE GROUND.
[GUNFIRE]
Narrator:
THE WAR DEPARTMENT RUSHES
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY.
THEY REQUEST AN ASSAULT DRONE.
THE PRIMARY USER: THE NAVY.
THE PROTOTYPES:
THE TDR AND TDN-1.
MARCH 1944.
THE NAVY DEPLOYS THE NEW DRONE
IN THE PACIFIC.
ITS TARGET: JAPANESE SHIPS.
ONCE THE DRONE IS AIRBORNE,
A PILOT FLYING
IN A NEARBY BOMBER
TAKES CONTROL.
A CAMERA IN THE DRONE'S NOSE
SENDS A SIGNAL
TO A 5-INCH TV SCREEN
IN THE BOMBER'S REAR COCKPIT.
THE DRONE CAN BE CONTROLLED
FROM UP TO EIGHT MILES AWAY.
IT CAN CARRY A TORPEDO
OR A 2,000-POUND BOMB.
[EXPLOSION]
THE NAVY HAS HIGH HOPES,
BUT THE RESULT
IS NOT IMPRESSIVE.
THE DRONES HIT JUST 50%
OF THEIR TARGETS.
Connor: CONVENTIONAL
AIRPLANES AND BOMBS
WERE STILL THE MOST EFFECTIVE
WAY OF ATTACKING THE ENEMY.
IN TERMS OF WHAT WE UNDERSTAND
AS A UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE
OR DRONE TODAY,
THAT IDEA DEVELOPED
A LOT MORE SLOWLY
DURING THE COLD WAR ERA.
¶
Narrator: MAY 1960.
THE UNITED STATES
SENDS RECONNAISSANCE PLANES OUT
OVER SOVIET AIRSPACE.
Connor: THE PRIMARY
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
AT THAT TIME
WAS THE LOCKHEED U-2 SPY PLANE.
THE U-2 WAS VERY CAPABLE,
BUT IT WAS ALSO VERY VULNERABLE.
Narrator: THE U.S. FINDS
JUST HOW VULNERABLE
WHEN ONE OF ITS
MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR SPY PLANES
GETS SHOT DOWN.
WITHIN DAYS,
THE PENTAGON LAUNCHES
A HIGHLY CLASSIFIED PROGRAM,
CODE NAMED "RED WAGON."
ITS GOAL:
TO FIND UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES
FOR MISSIONS TOO DULL, DIRTY,
OR DANGEROUS FOR MANNED FLIGHT.
Connor:
IN SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS,
THEY STUMBLED UPON
THE LIGHTNING BUG,
A VERY CAPABLE
RECONNAISSANCE PLATFORM.
Narrator: LIGHTNING BUGS
FLY OVER 34,000 MISSIONS
OVER SOUTHEAST ASIA.
BY 1979,
THEY'VE FALLEN OUT OF FAVOR.
Connor: UNFORTUNATELY,
AS DEFENSE BUDGETS
KIND OF SHRANK
IN THE POST-VIETNAM ERA,
MANNED SYSTEMS TOOK AWAY
FROM A LOT OF
UAV DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.
Narrator: ONLY ONE BRANCH
OF THE SERVICE
KEEPS FAITH IN THE TECHNOLOGY:
THE ARMY.
IN 1974, THEY PARTNER
WITH LOCKHEED MARTIN
TO DEVELOP A NEW DRONE.
[BUZZING]
ITS PURPOSE:
PICKING TARGETS
FOR THEIR BRAND-NEW
LASER-GUIDED ARTILLERY.
Man: OK, LOOKS LIKE WE GOT
A GOOD LAUNCH.
Narrator: THE DRONE IS CALLED
THE AQUILA,
LATIN FOR "EAGLE."
¶
Connor: THE AQUILA WOULD SPOT
A TARGET VIA TELEVISION FEED
TO A GROUND STATION.
IT WOULD DESIGNATE A TARGET
WITH ITS LASER,
AND THEN EITHER THE MISSILE
OR THE ARTILLERY ROUND
WOULD TRACK IN ON THAT.
[BOOM]
[EXPLOSION]
Narrator:
BUT JUST THREE YEARS IN,
THE PROGRAM'S COST
REACHES ONE BILLION DOLLARS.
IN 1987,
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
WITHDRAWS ITS FUNDING.
Connor: BECAUSE THE AQUILA
WAS THE MILITARY'S
BIGGEST DRONE PROGRAM,
ITS FAILURE GAVE DRONES
A HUGE BLACK EYE.
Narrator: THE AQUILA'S DEATH
IS A MAJOR SETBACK.
DRONES, IT SEEMS,
ARE NOT WORTH THEIR PRICE TAG.
RESURRECTION
WILL TAKE A MIRACLE.
Narrator: 1983.
IN THE UNITED STATES,
DRONES ARE ALL BUT DEAD.
6,000 MILES AWAY IN ISRAEL,
IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
ISRAELIS DEVELOP DRONES
THAT ARE SIMPLER, CHEAPER,
AND EASIER TO OPERATE.
THEY SCOUT SYRIAN RADAR SITES.
THEY DESIGNATE TARGETS
FOR ISRAELI WEAPONS SYSTEMS.
THE U.S. NAVY TAKES NOTE.
Connor: THE U.S. NAVY
QUICKLY REALIZED
THAT THESE DRONES
OFFER CAPABILITIES
THAT THEY HAD LONG BEEN MISSING.
AND SO QUICKLY THE U.S. NAVY
CONTRACTED WITH THE ISRAELIS
TO PROCURE SOME OF THOSE,
AND THAT SOON DEVELOPED
INTO A CONTRACT
FOR WHAT BECAME KNOWN
AS THE RQ-2 PIONEER.
Narrator: THE PIONEER
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MUCH,
BUT JUST FOUR YEARS
AFTER IT'S BORN,
IT CHANGES THE FACE OF WARFARE.
FEBRUARY 1991.
KUWAIT.
OPERATION DESERT STORM.
THE U.S.S. WISCONSIN
SITS DEEP IN THE PERSIAN GULF,
WAITING TO ATTACK.
ON DECK, ITS CREW GETS READY
TO HUNT FOR IRAQI MISSILE SITES,
USING ITS BRAND-NEW DRONE:
THE PIONEER.
Randal McDonald:
THE PIONEER WAS A PURCHASE
TO PROVIDE GUNFIRE SPOTTING
FOR THE 5-INCH GUNS
AND PARTICULARLY
FOR THE 16-INCH GUNS.
Narrator: LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
RANDAL McDONALD
WAS THE OFFICER IN CHARGE
OF PIONEER OPERATIONS
ON THE U.S.S. WISCONSIN.
Randal McDonald:
THE 16-INCH GUNS
COULD THROW A 1-TON SHELL
27 MILES AWAY.
[EXPLOSION]
IT WAS HARD TO TELL WHAT DAMAGE
WAS ACTUALLY BEING DONE
WHEN YOU'RE THAT FAR AWAY,
SO OUR AIRCRAFT
WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED
TO WATCH THE TARGET AREAS,
DIRECT THE LINE OF FIRE,
AND ALLOW THE GUNNERS
TO MAKE QUICK CORRECTIONS.
Narrator:
THE PIONEER TURNS OUT TO BE
THE MOST EFFECTIVE DRONE
THE NAVY'S EVER HAD.
PIONEERS GUIDE NEARLY
A MILLION POUNDS OF NAVY GUNFIRE
ONTO IRAQI MISSILE SITES.
BUT IT'S THE NEW AIRCRAFT'S
FEAR FACTOR
THAT GIVES DRONES
A WHOLE NEW REPUTATION.
Connor:
ON FEBRUARY 27th OF 1991
THE PIONEER WAS SPOTTING
FOR NAVAL GUNFIRE.
WHILE FLYING LOW, THEY CAME
ACROSS A GROUP OF IRAQIS
WHO WERE ABLE TO SEE
THE PIONEER IN THE AIR
AND WHO UNDERSTOOD THAT USUALLY
WHEN ONE SAW A PIONEER
IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY 16-INCH
ROUNDS FROM THE BATTLESHIPS.
McDonald: AND THAT'S WHEN
THE IRAQI SOLDIERS
STARTED WAVING WHITE FLAGS,
WHITE T-SHIRTS, TOWELS...
WHATEVER THEY COULD.
THAT WAS
THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY
THAT A HUMAN
SURRENDERED TO A ROBOT.
Narrator: THE PIONEER
MAKES DRONES LOOK GOOD,
BUT THEY STILL HAVE
SERIOUS LIMITATIONS.
Connor: ONE OF THE BIGGEST
PROBLEMS WITH UAVs
WAS THAT THEY REQUIRED
LINE-OF-SIGHT COMMUNICATIONS.
SO, AS SOON AS IT
WENT OVER THE HORIZON,
YOU WOULD LOSE CONTROL OF IT
AS WELL AS LOSING
YOUR LIVE VIDEO FEED.
Narrator: THE SOLUTION COMES
FROM AEROSPACE ENGINEER
ABRAHAM KAREM.
IN 1994,
KAREM DESIGNS A FRAME
THAT INCORPORATES
SOMETHING REVOLUTIONARY
INTO THE DRONE'S BODY:
A SATELLITE SYSTEM.
HIS DESIGN
IS CALLED THE PREDATOR.
Connor: ONE OF THE MOST
REVOLUTIONARY THINGS
ABOUT THE PREDATOR
IS THE FACT THAT IT IS
ABLE TO BE CONTROLLED
AS WELL AS MONITORED
ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE
OF THE PLANET.
Narrator: WHEN THE PREDATOR
FLIES BEYOND THE LINE OF SIGHT,
IT CONNECTS TO A KU-BAND
SATELLITE SYSTEM.
THE SATELLITE
PICKS UP INFORMATION
FROM THE GROUND CONTROL STATION
AND RELAYS IT TO THE AIRCRAFT.
THIS ALLOWS THE CREW TO CONTROL
THE AIRCRAFT'S MOVEMENT
AND ITS SENSOR BALL.
THE PREDATOR
SCANS THE GROUND BELOW
AND BEAMS THE VIDEO
OR PHOTOGRAPHS
BACK TO THE SATELLITE SYSTEM,
WHICH THEN TRANSMITS THE IMAGES
BACK TO THE CONTROL STATION
FOR THE CREW TO RESPOND.
Cluff: THE ONLY
LIMITATION WE HAVE
IS THE LAG TIME
IN GETTING THE SIGNAL
TO THE CONTROL STATION
FROM THE AIRPLANE,
AND THAT TYPICALLY IS ANYWHERE
FROM 1.5 TO 2 SECONDS.
Narrator: SATELLITE CONTROL
ALLOWS THE PREDATOR TO TAKE
ITS ROVING EYE AROUND THE WORLD
AND IN MISSIONS CLOSE TO HOME--
SOME OF WHICH HAVE
NOTHING TO DO WITH COMBAT.
¶
AUGUST 2013.
CALIFORNIA.
FIRE THREATENS TO DESTROY
THE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.
Reporter: YOU'RE LOOKING AT
SOME OF THE 187,000 ACRES
THAT HAS BEEN BURNED
BY THE RIM FIRE.
[SIRENS]
Narrator: 50,000 FIREFIGHTERS
COME OUT IN FULL FORCE.
THE FIRE IS FAST AND DANGEROUS.
FIREFIGHTERS
ARE QUICKLY OVERWHELMED.
THE CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD'S
163rd RECONNAISSANCE WING
STEPS IN TO HELP.
Dana Hessheimer:
IT WAS SUNDAY, AUGUST 25th,
WHEN I GOT THE CALL TO SAY,
"HEY, BE PREPARED,
WE MIGHT USE A MQ-1 PREDATOR
TO HELP SUPPORT
THE EFFORTS AT THE RIM FIRE."
Narrator:
COLONEL DANA HESSHEIMER
IS COMMANDER
OF THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD'S
163rd RECONNAISSANCE WING.
Hessheimer: I WANTED TO GET
OUT THERE AS SOON AS WE COULD
BECAUSE THEIR REQUEST WAS
FOR PERSISTENT SURVEILLANCE.
AND WE KNEW WE COULD
PROVIDE THAT FOR THEM
BECAUSE THAT'S
WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR
IS NOTORIOUS FOR ITS WEAPONS.
BUT SURVEILLANCE
WAS ITS FIRST PURPOSE.
IT'S DESIGNED TO HOVER
AND WATCH.
Man: THE MQ-1B PREDATOR,
ONE OF THE BIG ADVANTAGES
THAT IT BRINGS,
IS IT BRINGS ABOUT
24 HOURS OF LOITER TIME,
WHICH A MANNED AIRCRAFT
JUST CANNOT DO.
Narrator: THE MQ-1B PREDATOR
HAS FOUR CAMERAS
EMBEDDED IN ITS BODY,
STARTING WITH ITS NOSE.
Man: NORMALLY
ON TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS
THE PILOT WILL BE
USING THAT CAMERA
BECAUSE IT'S POINTED
STRAIGHT OFF,
IT'S FIXED, AND IT DOESN'T MOVE.
Narrator:
THE OTHER THREE CAMERAS
ARE IN THE PREDATOR'S BELLY,
ON ITS GYRO-STABILIZED
SENSOR BALL.
THE FIRST
IS A TWO-FOR-ONE-SPECIAL:
IT CONTAINS ONE TV CAMERA
OPTIMIZED FOR DAYLIGHT
AND ONE THAT SEES IN INFRARED.
IT CAN SEE THROUGH
CLOUDS AND SMOKE.
THE LAST CAMERA OFFERS A WIDE
AND ULTRA-WIDE POINT OF VIEW.
FOUR FULL-MOTION CAMERAS.
FOUR OPTIONS
FOR REAL-TIME VIDEO.
Man: ULTIMATELY
THE GREATEST CAPABILITY
THAT REMOTELY PILOTED
AIRCRAFT BRING
IS WE NEVER HAVE TO PUT
A PILOT IN HARM'S WAY.
Narrator:
MARCH AIR FORCE BASE,
CALIFORNIA.
350 MILES AWAY FROM YOSEMITE,
AN MQ-1B PREDATOR TAKES OFF
AND HEADS TOWARD THE FIRE.
¶
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
THAT THE NATIONAL GUARD
HAS USED THE AIRCRAFT
TO SUPPORT CIVILIAN AUTHORITIES.
IT'S A POWERFUL ASSIST...
IF THEY CAN PULL IT OFF.
Hessheimer: I WAS ACTUALLY
PRETTY EXCITED
THAT WE MIGHT HAVE
THE CAPABILITY
TO ACTUALLY SUPPORT
THE FIREFIGHTERS.
WE KNEW THIS WAS A CHANCE
TO SHOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
THAT THIS JUST WASN'T
A KILLING MACHINE,
BUT THAT THIS TECHNOLOGY
COULD BE USED FOR GOOD.
Narrator:
TWO HOURS INTO ITS FLIGHT,
THE PREDATOR REACHES YOSEMITE.
ITS SENSOR OPERATOR AND PILOT
SURVEY THE FIRE BELOW.
¶
Hessheimer: THERE WAS THOUSANDS
OF FIREFIGHTERS ON THE GROUND.
SOMETIMES THE FIRE WOULD
ACTUALLY BE GOING
OVER THE FIREFIGHTERS' HEADS
BECAUSE THOSE TREES
WERE SO TALL,
AND THEY WEREN'T EVEN
AWARE OF IT.
Narrator: THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE
SPREAD OVER HUNDREDS OF MILES.
KEEPING TABS ON THEM ALL
IS A CHALLENGE.
Hessheimer:
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS
OF THE INCIDENT COMMANDER
WHEN THEY'RE FIGHTING A FIRE
IS TO MAKE SURE THEY KEEP TRACK
OF ALL THEIR CREWS.
BECAUSE OF
THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN,
IT'S TOUGH TO CONTINUE
TO HAVE COMMUNICATIONS.
Narrator: SOON AFTER
THE PREDATOR ARRIVES,
HESSHEIMER'S CREW LEARNS
THAT SOMETHING ON THE GROUND
HAS GONE TERRIBLY WRONG.
Hessheimer:
THE INCIDENT COMMANDER
LOST COMMUNICATIONS
WITH ONE OF HIS FIRE CREWS
AND ASKED US IF WE COULD HELP
FIND HIS FIRE CREW.
THE WORST THING
THAT COULD HAPPEN IS OBVIOUSLY
IF THAT FIRE ENGULFED
THE FIREFIGHTER CREWS
AND THEY COULDN'T GET OUT OF IT.
¶
Narrator: HESSHEIMER QUICKLY
REROUTES THE PREDATOR
TO THE MEN'S
LAST KNOWN LOCATION.
Hessheimer:
IT WAS SUCH A HUGE FIRE
THAT THE SMOKE PLUME
WAS GOING UP TO 30,000 FEET,
BUT THE INFRARED CAMERA
CAN SEE THROUGH SMOKE,
SO WE STARTED STREAMING
FULL-MOTION VIDEO
TO THE INCIDENT COMMANDER.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR
MOVES SLOWLY OVER THE FIRE,
SCANNING A VAST TERRITORY.
THE SENSOR OPERATOR
PORES THROUGH THE VIDEO.
THE MOOD IS TENSE.
IF THE PREDATOR CAN'T FIND
THE FIREFIGHTERS,
THEY MAY STAY LOST FOR GOOD.
Narrator: A PREDATOR CIRCLES
HIGH ABOVE YOSEMITE
NATIONAL FOREST,
SEARCHING THROUGH THE SMOKE FOR
A SMALL TEAM OF FIREFIGHTERS.
THE SENSOR OPERATOR NOTICES
SEVERAL SMALL FIGURES
MAKING THEIR WAY
UP A RIDGE LINE.
Hessheimer: WITHIN FIVE MINUTES
WE FOUND THE CREW,
AND THEN WE RELAYED BACK
TO THE INCIDENT COMMANDER
THAT HIS CREW WAS SAFE.
¶
THAT'S WHEN THEY REALIZED
THAT THIS WAS A GAME CHANGER.
Narrator:
OVER THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS,
THE PREDATOR FLIES
OVER 80 HOURS OF SUPPORT.
IT CONTINUES TO PROVE ITS WORTH
WITH EVERY FLIGHT.
Hessheimer: WE HELPED
THE INCIDENT COMMANDER
FIND LOST FIRE CREWS,
WE HELPED THEM SAVE YOSEMITE,
AND WE ALSO HELPED THEM
LOOK AND PROTECT
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE,
LIKE THE POWER LINES.
Narrator: THE FIRE DESTROYS
250,000 ACRES,
BUT NOT A SINGLE LIFE IS LOST.
OVER 7,000 MILES AWAY,
A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF DRONE
IS BROUGHT IN TO SAVE LIVES.
THIS TIME, BY THE U.S. ARMY.
2010.
AFGHANISTAN.
FOR U.S. TROOPS,
IT'S THE DEADLIEST YEAR YET.
[EXPLOSION]
Man: OH! IED! IED!
Reporter: IN ALL THE YEARS
THAT AMERICAN TROOPS
HAVE BEEN FIGHTING
IN AFGHANISTAN,
THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN
THIS MANY IED ATTACKS.
[EXPLOSIONS]
Narrator:
IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES
ON AFGHANI ROADS
KILL DOZENS OF SOLDIERS.
A $17 BILLION
U.S. COUNTEROFFENSIVE
DOES LITTLE TO STEM THE PROBLEM.
Darren Bland: DURING OUR TOUR
IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN
IT SEEMED LIKE OUR GUYS
WERE ENCOUNTERING IEDs
PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY.
Narrator: SERGEANT DARREN BLAND
SERVED THREE TOURS
IN OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.
Bland: A LOT OF TIMES
WHAT WE WOULD FIND
IS AS SOON AS
WE'VE STOPPED AT ONE IED,
JUST AROUND THE NEXT CORNER
OR THE NEXT BEND,
THEY'D BE PUTTING IN
ANOTHER ONE.
Narrator: NOW BLAND'S UNIT
HAS A NEW TOOL
TO BATTLE THE IED THREAT.
IT WEIGHS JUST 17 POUNDS,
BUT THE ARMY BELIEVES
IT'S THE NEXT BIG THING.
THE RQ-20 PUMA
IS PROPELLER-DRIVEN,
BATTERY-POWERED,
AND DESIGNED TO BE
READY FOR COMBAT
IN ANY PLACE, AT ANY TIME.
Nick Kioutas: THEY CAN PUT
THIS SYSTEM TOGETHER
IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES.
THEY'RE ABLE TO DO IT QUICKLY
WITHOUT HAVING TO CALL
HIGHER ECHELONS FOR SUPPORT.
Narrator: LARGER DRONES
NEED A RUNWAY OR A CATAPULT
TO GET THEM INTO THE AIR.
NOT THE PUMA.
IT'S DESIGNED TO BE LAUNCHED
RIGHT FROM
THE SOLDIER'S OWN HANDS.
EACH PUMA TEAM HAS TWO MEMBERS.
THE MISSION OPERATOR
IS THE PUMA'S BRAINS.
HE USES A TOUCH SCREEN LAPTOP
TO PROGRAM THE PUMA'S ROUTE.
A GPS EMBEDDED
IN THE PUMA'S BODY
ALLOWS HIM TO TRACK IT
ON A DETAILED MAP.
THE VEHICLE OPERATOR
CONTROLS THE PUMA'S EYES.
HE USES A TABLET
WITH CONTROL STICKS
TO PILOT THE AIRCRAFT
AND MONITOR WHAT IT SEES.
Kioutas: HE CAN IDENTIFY
ENEMY SOLDIERS WITH WEAPONS
OR WHAT THEIR INTENT IS.
Narrator:
THE PUMA MAKES A BIG PROMISE:
TO SAVE SOLDIERS' LIVES.
AFGHANISTAN
IS ITS FIRST REAL TEST.
SERGEANT DARREN BLAND
AND HIS UNIT
DRIVE DEEP INTO
THE AFGHANI COUNTRYSIDE.
BEHIND THEM,
A CONVOY OF VITAL SUPPLIES.
THE ROAD IS ONE OF
AFGHANISTAN'S DEADLIEST.
BLAND'S UNIT MUST ENSURE
IT'S IED-FREE.
Bland: ON THIS SPECIFIC ROUTE
THERE ARE SEVERAL AREAS
THAT WERE TYPICAL SPOTS
WHERE PEOPLE WOULD TRY TO PLACE
IEDs IN FRONT OF A CONVOY.
IF YOU JUST MISS ONE IED
AND ONE OF THOSE TRUCKS
GETS HIT, IT'S PRETTY SERIOUS,
SO WE DECIDED TO TAKE
THE PUMA ALONG WITH US
TO PROVIDE INTELLIGENCE,
SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE
OF THE ROUTE
THAT WE WERE CLEARING.
Narrator:
BLAND'S HUMVEE PULLS OFF
BEFORE IT REACHES
THE FIRST TROUBLE SPOT.
THE CONVOY CONTINUES ON AHEAD.
Bland: THE SPOT WE CHOSE TO
FLY FROM FOR THIS SPECIFIC DAY
WAS A GOOD SPOT
BECAUSE IT WAS HIDDEN
FROM THAT AREA,
AND WE COULD SEE AROUND THE
CORNER BEFORE THE CONVOY COULD.
THAT ALLOWED US
TO FLY AROUND, TAKE A LOOK
BEFORE THE ENEMY
WOULD EVER SEE A VEHICLE.
¶
Narrator: BLAND SCRAMBLES
TO GET THE PUMA IN THE AIR.
IT RACES AHEAD OF THE CONVOY,
LOOKING FOR THREATS.
Bland: IT'S ALWAYS
IN THE BACK OF MY MIND
THAT THAT CONVOY'S
STILL MOVING FORWARD
AND THAT IF I DON'T IDENTIFY
THE THREATS QUICK ENOUGH,
IT MIGHT BE TOO LATE.
¶
Narrator: AT FIRST, NOTHING.
¶
BUT THEN, THE VEHICLE OPERATOR
HOMES IN
ON SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS.
Bland:
AROUND THE NEXT TURN IN THE ROAD
WE NOTICED THAT
THERE WERE THREE GUYS
AROUND A HOLE
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
ONCE WE NOTICED
THE GUYS IN THE ROAD DIGGING,
WE PRETTY MUCH KNEW
WHAT WAS GOING ON.
THEY WERE TRYING
TO EMPLACE AN IED.
WE RADIOED THE CONVOY
WITH AN ALL-STOP,
WHICH MEANS EVERY VEHICLE IN
THAT CONVOY STOPS IMMEDIATELY.
¶
Narrator: SOMEHOW THE INSURGENTS
SENSE THEY'VE BEEN SPOTTED.
A TEAM OF SOLDIERS
DISMOUNTS FROM THE CONVOY
AND HEADS TOWARD THE INSURGENTS.
BUT WHEN THE SOLDIERS ARRIVE,
THE INSURGENTS ARE GONE.
Bland: THEY MOVED UP THE ROAD
AND AROUND ANOTHER CORNER
TO A VEHICLE
WHERE THEY PUT THE IED
IN THE BACK OF THEIR VEHICLE
AND THEY DROVE AWAY.
Narrator: TODAY'S SCORE:
AMERICA, ONE; TALIBAN, ZERO.
Bland: THOSE GUYS COULDN'T
COMPLETE THE JOB,
THEY DIDN'T GET
THE IEDs IN PLACE.
BECAUSE OF THE PUMA WE WERE ABLE
TO ELIMINATE ONE MORE THREAT
TO OUR SOLDIERS ON THE GROUND.
¶
Narrator: THE U.S. ARMY
CURRENTLY HAS OVER 325 PUMAS
IN SERVICE.
IN MARCH 2012,
THEY SIGNED A $20 MILLION
CONTRACT FOR MORE.
Connor: THE INCREASED USE
OF SMALLER UAVs,
EVEN PERSONAL UAVs
ON THE BATTLEFIELD,
IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
Narrator: THE MILITARY
ISN'T THE ONLY GROUP
FINDING NEW WAYS TO USE DRONES.
THE FASTEST-GROWING MARKET
IS WITH CIVILIANS.
APRIL 2012.
LIBERTY, TEXAS.
A 2 1/2-YEAR-OLD BOY
HAS BEEN MISSING FOR A WEEK.
Ken Defoor: WE PROBABLY HAD
AT LEAST 200 PEOPLE INVOLVED
IN BOTH THE SEARCHING AND THE
OPERATION DEVELOPMENT ITSELF.
Narrator: CAPTAIN KEN DEFOOR
HAS BEEN WITH THE LIBERTY COUNTY
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
FOR FOUR YEARS.
Defoor: THIS WAS
A VERY SWAMPY AREA,
IT WAS ALLIGATOR-INFESTED,
SNAKE-INFESTED.
THERE'S ALL KINDS
OF ANIMALS IN THERE
THAT WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL,
NOT ONLY TO A YOUNG CHILD,
BUT TO THE SEARCHERS THEMSELVES.
Narrator: THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
AND HUNDREDS OF MAN-HOURS LATER,
INVESTIGATORS
ARE STILL AT SQUARE ONE.
Defoor: WE HAD FOOT SEARCHERS,
ATVs, DIVE TEAMS,
AERIAL SURVEILLANCES,
WE USED EVERY TECHNOLOGY
AND EVERY RESOURCE THAT WE HAD.
Narrator:
BUT THERE'S ONE RESOURCE
THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE
HASN'T YET USED:
A DRONE.
Gene Robinson:
MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
AND FIRST RESPONDERS
DON'T HAVE VERY LARGE BUDGETS.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT
FOR THEM TO CONSIDER
PURCHASING
THIS SORT OF TECHNOLOGY
BECAUSE THEY, QUITE FRANKLY,
CAN'T AFFORD IT.
Narrator: GENE ROBINSON
HAS DESIGNED
UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES
FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
Robinson: THAT'S WHERE
A CIVILIAN CAN COME IN
AND PROVIDE
THE SAME SORT OF SERVICE
THAT A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
WOULD NEED.
Narrator: DESIGNING DRONES
USED TO BE
THE MILITARY'S TERRITORY.
TODAY, CIVILIANS MAKE THEM, TOO.
Robinson:
THE CAMERAS THAT WE USE
HAPPEN TO HAVE THE FOCAL LENGTH
THAT FITS WITH
A 400-FOOT ALTITUDE
AND GIVES US
SUFFICIENT RESOLUTION
TO BE ABLE TO USE THEM
IN SEARCH AND RESCUE.
Narrator:
200 MILES FROM LIBERTY,
ROBINSON VOLUNTEERS HIS SPECTRA
TO HELP SEARCH
FOR THE MISSING CHILD.
Robinson:
BASED ON OUR PAST EXPERIENCE,
WE FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE
A RECOVERY RATHER THAN A RESCUE,
WHICH IS ALWAYS DISCONCERTING.
BUT IT'S JUST AS IMPORTANT
TO BRING THAT CHILD HOME
IN ANY CASE.
Narrator: DOUBT ABOUT THE DRONE
ADDS TO THE TENSION.
Robinson: THE AREA HAD BEEN
COVERED VERY THOROUGHLY
AND THERE WAS GREATER POTENTIAL
THAT WE WERE NOT
GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
EVEN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT
WERE SKEPTICS
BECAUSE THEY HAD ALREADY
RESIGNED THEMSELVES
THAT THIS WAS NOT
GOING TO BE SOLVABLE.
Narrator:
ROBINSON KNOWS HIS SPECTRA
JUST MAY BE THE LAST CHANCE
TO LEARN THE CHILD'S FATE.
Robinson: WE DON'T TRY TO GUESS
THE OUTCOME OF ANY MISSIONS,
WHETHER THEY BE
SUCCESSFUL OR NOT.
WE JUST GO AND TRY
TO DO THE MISSION.
[BUZZING]
Narrator: A 2 1/2-YEAR-OLD CHILD
IS MISSING IN TEXAS.
THE LAST CHANCE TO FIND HIM:
A DRONE.
Robinson: WE WERE ADVISED
THAT THIS WAS IT,
THIS WAS THE LAST EFFORT
THAT WAS GOING TO BE MADE
FOR THE SEARCH.
THEY FELT THAT THEY HAD DONE
EVERYTHING THEY COULD DO.
Narrator: ROBINSON LAUNCHES
THE SPECTRA INTO THE SKY.
IT'S TIME FOR THE DRONE
TO PERFORM.
Robinson: WE WERE BRIEFED AS TO
WHAT THE CHILD WAS WEARING,
WE WERE TOLD WHITE JERSEY,
MAROON RAGLAN SLEEVES.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
Narrator:
ROBINSON INITIATES AUTOPILOT,
THE BRAIN OF THE DRONE ITSELF.
Robinson: THE AUTOPILOT
THAT WE USE IN THE SPECTRA
IS A VERY SMART PIECE
OF EQUIPMENT.
IT AUTOMATICALLY CALCULATES,
BASED ON THE ALTITUDE
AND SPEED,
WHEN TO TAKE A PICTURE
AND GIVE US WHATEVER
OVERLAP WE SPECIFY.
THIS ENSURES US 100% COVERAGE
OF THE SEARCH AREA.
Narrator: TEN MINUTES LATER
THE SPECTRA IS BACK.
ROBINSON QUICKLY
TAKES ITS MEMORY CARD
TO HIS MOBILE HEADQUARTERS.
Robinson: WE CAN ZOOM IN
TO THESE IMAGES
AND SEE THINGS ON THE GROUND.
THIS IS THE PROCESS
OF SQUINTING.
Narrator: IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG
BEFORE A SQUINT
POINTS OUT
AN OBJECT OF INTEREST:
A RED DOT IN THE WATER.
A HELICOPTER TEAM TAKES OFF
TO GET A CLOSER LOOK.
Robinson:
THE HELICOPTER CAME IN,
AND THIS TIME, DIRECTED BY US,
FLEW TO THE RED OBJECT.
AND AS THEY HOVERED
OVER THE LAKE,
WE HAD RADIO CONTACT
COME THROUGH TO THE RANGERS
THAT POSITIVE ID WAS MADE
AND THE CHILD WAS FOUND.
Narrator:
THE TEAM IS TOO LATE.
IT'S A DEVASTATING END
TO A TRAGIC STORY.
BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.
Defoor: THE PHOTOGRAPHS
ALSO PHOTOGRAPHED AN ALLIGATOR
WITHIN ABOUT 30 YARDS OF
THE REMAINS OF THE LITTLE BOY.
SO HAD WE NOT RECOVERED
THE BODY WITHIN THAT HOUR,
WE WOULD HAVE NEVER RECOVERED
THAT LITTLE BOY.
Narrator: FOR ROBINSON,
THE DRONE'S PERFORMANCE
IS A VINDICATION.
Robinson: WE MANAGED
TO PROVE A LOT THAT DAY
AND MANAGED TO CHANGE
A LOT OF MINDS
ABOUT WHAT A DRONE,
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT CAN DO.
[BUZZING]
Narrator: DRONES.
44 COUNTRIES USE THEM FOR
THEIR MILITARY OPERATIONS.
THE GLOBAL HAWK...
THE SHADOW...
THE HUNTER...
THE RAVEN...
THE REAPER...
THE K-MAX HELICOPTER.
THE LIST GROWS EVERY YEAR.
¶
Swanson: ANYTHING THAT CAN BE
DONE WITH A MANNED AIRCRAFT
HAS THE CAPABILITY
TO BE DONE UNMANNED.
WITHIN A FEW YEARS,
THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING THINGS
THAT WE NEVER HAD IMAGINED
THAT EITHER A MANNED
OR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
MAY BE CONDUCTING.
Narrator: IN 2014 ALONE,
THE PENTAGON SPENT
ALMOST $2.5 BILLION
ON DRONE DEVELOPMENT.
WITH A DRONE, THERE'S NO NEED
FOR EJECTION SEATS,
LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS,
OR EVEN A COCKPIT.
SPACE NORMALLY RESERVED
FOR A PILOT
CAN GO TO SENSORS, WEAPONS,
OR EXTRA FUEL.
DRONES DON'T JUST DO
WHAT THEY'RE TOLD;
SOON, THEY'LL THINK
FOR THEMSELVES, TOO.
Connor: THE NEXT STEP
IS GOING TO BE A BIG ONE,
AND THIS IS THE INCREASED USE OF
AUTONOMOUS FULLY ARMED DRONES,
SO THINGS LIKE THE NAVY'S X-47B.
Narrator: THE X-47B
USES AN ONBOARD COMPUTER
TO TAKE OFF AND LAND.
WHEN IT'S IN THE AIR,
IT PILOTS ITSELF.
Connor: THESE AIRCRAFT WILL FLY
FULLY AUTONOMOUS MISSIONS,
BUT IT IS GOING TO BE
A BIT FURTHER IN THE FUTURE
BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT
OF TECHNICAL ISSUES
THAT HAVE TO BE RESOLVED,
AND IT'S GOING TO BE
EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.
Narrator: CIVILIAN DRONES
HAVE EXPLODED, TOO,
CREATING AN ANNUAL MARKET
ESTIMATED AT MORE THAN
A BILLION DOLLARS.
Connor: THE CIVILIAN MARKET
HAS JUST COMPLETELY EXPLODED
IN FASCINATING AND
KIND OF UNBELIEVABLE NEW WAYS,
WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF THESE THINGS
BEING PRODUCED AROUND THE GLOBE.
THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF NEW
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR USE,
FROM REAL ESTATE AGENTS
TO POWER COMPANIES
THAT WANT TO INSPECT
THEIR TRANSMISSION LINES
TO POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT WANT
TO SPOT ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS
WHO'VE WANDERED AWAY
FROM A NURSING HOME.
Narrator: IT'S SCIENCE
MEETS SCIENCE FICTION.
FROM THE BATTLEFIELD...
TO THE BACKYARD,
EACH GENERATION OF DRONES GETS
FASTER, STRONGER, AND SMARTER.
THE NEXT TIME YOU LOOK UP AND
SEE SOMETHING FLYING ABOVE YOU,
TAKE A GOOD LOOK.
IT JUST MAY BE
THE FUTURE OF AVIATION.
¶
TO A NICHE TECHNOLOGY...
Man: WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT WE WERE GETTING INTO.
Narrator: ...TO THE WAVE
OF THE FUTURE.
Janet Shamlian:
AMAZON IS MAKING BIG PROMISES
ABOUT EVEN FASTER DELIVERY
IN THE FUTURE, USING DRONES.
Narrator: DRONES CAN BE
TRAINED TO DO ANYTHING...
EVEN KILL.
Man: THE WEAPON FOLLOWS
THAT LASER ENERGY
ALL THE WAY TO THE ENEMY.
Narrator: NOW, WE BRING YOU
THE INSIDE STORY
OF A REVOLUTION...
Lester Holt:
THE USE OF UNMANNED DRONES
IS BECOMING
MORE AND MORE COMMON.
Narrator: ...THAT FILLS
THE SKIES WITH ENDLESS EYES.
Man: YOU'RE GOING TO GET
THE LANDSCAPE OF EVERYTHING.
Narrator: THE FUTURE
OF FLYING ROBOTS IS HERE.
Man: WE MANAGED TO CHANGE
A LOT OF MINDS
ABOUT WHAT A DRONE,
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT CAN DO.
[EXPLOSION]
¶
Narrator: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001.
THE UNITED STATES
IS UNDER SIEGE.
Reporter: A MAJOR DISASTER
IS OCCURRING IN NEW YORK CITY
THIS MORNING.
Narrator: AL QAEDA MILITANTS
TURN FOUR COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS
INTO FLYING BOMBS.
Tom Brokaw:
THOUSANDS LIKELY DEAD.
DOWNTOWN NEW YORK IN CHAOS.
SCORES OF POLICE,
FIREFIGHTERS WERE IN THE AREA
WHEN THE BUILDINGS CAME DOWN.
Narrator:
SUSPICION QUICKLY FALLS
ON AL QAEDA MASTERMIND
OSAMA BIN LADEN.
HE HIDES IN AFGHANISTAN.
THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES
PUT A WAR PLAN INTO ACTION.
THEY CALL IT
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.
President Bush: ON MY ORDERS
THE UNITED STATES MILITARY
HAS BEGUN STRIKES
AGAINST AL QAEDA
TERRORIST TRAINING CAMPS
AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS
OF THE TALIBAN REGIME
IN AFGHANISTAN.
Narrator: IT LOOKS LIKE THE WAR
WILL GO BY THE BOOK:
AIR STRIKES WITH GROUND TROOPS
SOON TO FOLLOW.
BUT THE AIR FORCE ALSO SENDS
A NEW SECRET WEAPON:
THE PREDATOR.
THE PREDATOR--
IT'S THE MOST COMBAT-PROVEN
REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT
IN THE WORLD...
A MACHINE DESIGNED
TO PUT FEAR IN THE SKY.
Jim Cluff:
WE ARE STANDING IN FRONT
OF THE GENERAL ATOMICS-BUILT
MQ-1 PREDATOR,
OR WHAT IS COMMONLY
REFERRED TO AS THE DRONE.
BUT WE IN THE AIR FORCE
REFER TO THIS
AS A REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR
IS 27 FEET LONG, 55 FEET WIDE,
AND 2,200 POUNDS--
SO LIGHT THAT IT ONLY NEEDS
A FOUR-CYLINDER ROTAX ENGINE.
Jim Cluff: IN ADDITION
TO PROPELLING PREDATORS,
ROTAX ALSO MAKES
SNOWMOBILE ENGINES.
SO MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE ACTUALLY
BEEN RIDING ON A MACHINE
THAT ALSO POWERS A PREDATOR.
Narrator: ITS MAX SPEED
IS JUST 135 MILES PER HOUR.
BUT THE PREDATOR DOESN'T NEED
TO GET ANYWHERE FAST.
WHEN THE AIR FORCE WANTS ONE,
THEY JUST SEND IT IN A BOX.
Cluff: WE CAN PACK IT UP AND
TAKE IT WHEREVER WE NEED TO GO.
THE WINGS COME OFF,
AND WE SLIDE IT INTO
WHAT WE CALL THE CASKET.
WE PUT THE TOP ON IT,
PUT IT ON A C-130
OR A BIGGER AIRPLANE,
AND IT CAN BE FLOWN
ANYWHERE AROUND THE WORLD.
Narrator: OCTOBER 7, 2001.
AFGHANISTAN.
THE FIRST DAY OF THE WAR.
20,000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND,
A PREDATOR MAKES ITS WAY
ACROSS THE SKY.
Scott Swanson: WE HAD BEGUN
FLYING MISSIONS IN AFGHANISTAN
AS EARLY AS
THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER
IN PREPARATION FOR THE AIR WAR.
Narrator: MAJOR SCOTT SWANSON
WAS THE LEAD PILOT
FOR THE PREDATOR PROGRAM.
Swanson: WE WERE PROVIDING
INTELLIGENCE AND RECONNAISSANCE
FOR THOSE STRIKE FORCES
COMING IN.
WE WERE LOOKING AT THINGS
LIKE THE ACTIVITY
AT THE AIR DEFENSE SITES,
THE RADARS, THE MISSILES,
TROOP MOVEMENTS,
THE FIGHTER ACTIVITY--
ALL OF THE PIECES AND PARTS
THAT GO TOGETHER
FOR A CONVENTIONAL AIR WAR.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR'S
DOING SOMETHING ELSE, TOO:
LOOKING FOR TERRORISTS.
TODAY'S ITS LUCKY DAY.
Swanson: RELATIVELY LATE
IN THE MORNING
WE WERE GIVEN A SET OF
COORDINATES TO GO CHECK OUT.
SURE ENOUGH, WHEN WE GOT THERE,
WE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE A CONVOY
THAT ENDED UP BEING MULLAH OMAR,
THE LEADER OF THE TALIBAN.
WE KNEW THAT WE HAD
A HIGH-VALUE TARGET.
Narrator: MULLAH MOHAMMAD OMAR
IS ONE OF OSAMA BIN LADEN'S
TOP ALLIES.
THERE'S A $10 MILLION BOUNTY
ON HIS HEAD.
Swanson:
WE SAW SECURITY DETAILS,
VEHICLES, ARMED GUARDS--
EVERYTHING THAT TOLD US THAT
THIS WAS SOMEBODY IMPORTANT.
Narrator: FOR SWANSON,
FINDING OMAR
IS A CASE OF DEJA VU.
HE'S HAD A TERRORIST LEADER
IN HIS SIGHTS BEFORE.
Swanson:
IT WAS THE FALL OF 2000,
AND WE'D BEEN FLYING
PREDATOR MISSIONS
DEEP INTO AFGHANISTAN
AND SAW A GROUP
OF PEOPLE GATHERING
AND A VERY TALL MAN IN WHITE
EXIT ONE OF THE BUILDINGS.
IT WAS REALLY OBVIOUS
TO THOSE OF US WATCHING
THAT IT HAD TO BE
OSAMA BIN LADEN.
Narrator: BIN LADEN
IS ONE OF AMERICA'S
TEN MOST-WANTED TERRORISTS.
FINDING HIM SHOULD BE
A MOMENT OF TRIUMPH.
BUT ALL SWANSON CAN DO IS WATCH.
Swanson: UNFORTUNATELY,
WE WERE NOT ARMED,
SO NOTHING HAPPENED.
Narrator: IT'S A MISTAKE
THAT THE PENTAGON
IS DETERMINED NOT TO MAKE AGAIN.
Swanson: THE PROGRAM
TO ARM THE PREDATOR
WAS ALREADY IN PROGRESS,
BUT IT WAS ROLLING ALONG
VERY SLOWLY.
THE ABILITY
TO PUT EYES ON TARGET
AND NOT BEING ABLE
TO DO ANYTHING
WAS A REAL IMPETUS TO FAST-TRACK
THE ARMING OF THE PREDATOR.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR WAS
INVENTED FOR SURVEILLANCE.
BUT THE UPDATED VERSION IS
DESIGNED TO LIVE UP TO ITS NAME.
IT HUNTS AND KILLS.
ITS WEAPON OF CHOICE: HELLFIRE.
[POP]
Man: ITEM AWAY, ITEM AWAY.
Cluff: THE MQ-1B PREDATOR
HAS TWO WEAPONS STATIONS
AND CAN CARRY TWO AGM-114
HELLFIRE MISSILES.
¶
THESE MISSILES ARE LOADED
ON AN M-299 LAUNCHER,
AND THE MISSILES EASILY SLIDE
ONTO THE LAUNCHER.
Narrator:
TWO PEOPLE CONTROL THE PREDATOR:
A PILOT
AND A SENSOR OPERATOR
IN CHARGE OF TARGETING.
Cluff: THE PILOT
IS ALSO CONSIDERED
THE MISSION COMMANDER.
HE IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE OVERALL EFFECTIVE
CONDUCT OF THE MISSION,
TO INCLUDE
THE RELEASE OF WEAPONS.
THE SENSOR OPERATOR
CONTROLS THE VARIOUS
SENSOR PACKAGES ON THE AIRPLANE
TO INCLUDE THE MULTI-SPECTRAL
TARGETING SYSTEM, OR MTS BALL.
Narrator: THIS MULTI-SPECTRAL
TARGETING SYSTEM
IS AT THE HEART OF ALL
THE PREDATOR'S OPERATIONS.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS.
THE PREDATOR AIMS
A LASER OR INFRARED BEAM
FROM THE MTS BALL
LOCATED NEAR
THE NOSE OF THE PLANE.
THIS BEAM LANDS
ON THE TARGET AND PULSES
TO ATTRACT THE LASER SEEKERS
AT THE END
OF EACH HELLFIRE MISSILE.
THE PREDATOR USES THE BEAM
TO CALCULATE
TRAJECTORY AND DISTANCE.
Cluff: WE CALL THAT
LASING THE TARGET.
THAT LASING INFORMATION
IS VERY ACCURATE, DOWN TO FEET.
THAT INFORMATION IS PUMPED
BACK TO THE WEAPON,
THE WEAPON IS RELEASED
OFF THE AIRPLANE,
AND THEN THE WEAPON
FOLLOWS THAT LASER ENERGY
ALL THE WAY TO THE ENEMY.
[EXPLOSIONS]
Narrator: IN 2001,
CAPTAIN SWANSON
AND HIS SENSOR OPERATOR
MONITOR THEIR PREDATOR
FROM A NORTHERN VIRGINIA BUNKER.
7,000 MILES AWAY IN AFGHANISTAN,
THE DRONE HOVERS OVER TALIBAN
LEADER MULLAH OMAR'S COMPOUND.
ON BOARD: TWO HELLFIRE MISSILES.
IT'S A TWO-PUNCH SYSTEM
NEVER BEFORE TESTED IN BATTLE.
Swanson: WE WERE
OPERATING A SYSTEM
THAT STILL HAD ROUGH EDGES.
WE WERE ESSENTIALLY TEST PILOTS
FLYING IN COMBAT.
Narrator: SUDDENLY,
OMAR AND HIS BODYGUARDS
STEP OUT OF THE BUILDING.
THEY CLIMB INTO A CAR
AND HEAD TOWARD TOWN.
¶
Swanson: WE FOLLOWED THAT
VEHICLE OUT INTO A COMPOUND.
HE AND HIS PARTY WENT INSIDE,
AND A SECURITY DETAIL
REMAINED OUTSIDE.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR
CONTINUES TO CIRCLE,
EXPECTING AIR FORCE F-14s
TO COME IN AND FINISH THE JOB.
Swanson: WE THOUGHT
THAT AT THIS POINT
AIR STRIKE WOULD BE CALLED IN
IN ORDER TO TAKE OUT
THIS HIGH-VALUE TARGET.
Narrator:
BUT THE FAST-FLYING JETS
AND THEIR THOUSAND-POUND BOMBS
MAY PUT INNOCENT LIVES AT RISK.
Swanson: CENTRAL COMMAND
HAD SPOTTED
SOMETHING IN THE COMPOUND
THAT WAS A CONCERN
IN REGARDS TO COLLATERAL DAMAGE,
AND THE STRIKERS WERE HELD OFF.
IT WAS AT THAT POINT
THAT THE COMMAND CAME DOWN
TO EXECUTE A STRIKE
USING THE HELLFIRE MISSILES
THAT WE CARRIED ON THE WINGS
OF THE PREDATOR.
Narrator: SWANSON
AND HIS SENSOR OPERATOR
GET READY TO FIRE.
Swanson:
THERE WAS A QUIET TENSION
IN THE GROUND CONTROL STATION.
IT WAS A SYSTEM THAT HAD NEVER
BEEN PROVEN IN COMBAT BEFORE.
Narrator:
IF THE PREDATOR'S MISSILES
TAKE INNOCENT LIVES,
THE ENTIRE DRONE PROGRAM
WILL COME UNDER FIRE.
IF THEY SUCCEED,
THEY WILL MAKE HISTORY.
Man: READY TO FIRE
LEFT MISSILE
IN THREE, TWO, ONE.
Narrator: IN AFGHANISTAN,
A PREDATOR HOVERS 20,000 FEET
ABOVE TERRORIST
MULLAH MOHAMMAD OMAR.
THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY,
CAPTAIN SCOTT SWANSON
AND HIS SENSOR OPERATOR
BEGIN A COUNTDOWN.
Man: READY FIRE MISSILE,
LASERS COMING ON.
Swanson: THE SENSOR OPERATOR
HAD THE SECURITY DETAIL
ON THE CROSSHAIRS
ON THE SENSOR BALL.
I'M GETTING READY TO GO THROUGH
THE SWITCH POSITIONS
TO RELEASE THE HELLFIRE.
Man: READY TO FIRE
LEFT MISSILE.
THREE, TWO, ONE.
Swanson: I SQUEEZED THE TRIGGER,
AND THE HELLFIRE
WAS OFF THE RAIL.
¶
YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING
UNTIL THE IMPACT OF THE MISSILE
ON THE TARGET.
[EXPLOSION]
AND AT THAT POINT THE HEAT OF
THE EXPLOSION FILLS THE SCENE.
¶
Narrator: THE HELLFIRE
WIPES OUT OMAR'S ENTOURAGE.
OMAR HIMSELF ESCAPES.
Swanson: THE EMOTIONAL BOND
ON A MISSION LIKE THAT
ISN'T ANY DIFFERENT
THAN SOME OF THE HELICOPTER
MISSIONS THAT I FLEW
THAT YOU COULD SEE, SMELL,
AND LITERALLY TASTE
WHAT WAS GOING ON.
YOU ARE 100%
EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED.
Narrator: SWANSON'S MISSION
IS THE FIRST TIME
AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
USES A HELLFIRE IN COMBAT.
IT USHERS IN A NEW ERA:
THE ERA OF THE DRONE.
Swanson:
WE KNEW AMONGST OURSELVES
THAT THIS WAS A LEAP
IN TECHNOLOGY.
THERE WOULD BE MANY MORE
IN THE COMING DAYS OF THE WAR.
¶
Narrator: DRONES:
NO TECHNOLOGY
IN THE LAST 10 YEARS
HAS CAPTURED THE PUBLIC'S
IMAGINATION, AND ITS FEAR,
SO RAPIDLY.
SUDDENLY, THESE FLYING ROBOTS
SEEM TO BE EVERYWHERE.
THEY'RE IN THE HANDS
OF THE MILITARY...
AND CIVILIANS.
BUT UNMANNED AIRCRAFT ARE FAR
FROM AN OVERNIGHT SENSATION.
Roger Connor: DRONES GO BACK
TO THE DAWN OF POWERED FLIGHT,
EVEN BEFORE THE BEGINNING
OF THE 20th CENTURY.
Narrator: ROGER CONNOR
IS THE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
SYSTEMS CURATOR
FOR THE NATIONAL
AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM.
Connor: THEY GO BACK
TO SAMUEL LANGLEY,
WHO WAS SECRETARY OF
THE SMITHSONIAN IN THE 1890s
AND A PREMIER AERONAUTICAL
RESEARCHER OF THE TIME.
Narrator: IN THE 1890s,
LANGLEY DEVELOPS A SERIES
OF EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT.
THEY'RE WOOD, SILK,
AND PERCALINE FABRIC,
HELD TOGETHER BY WIRE.
HE CALLS THEM AERODROMES--
GREEK FOR "AIR RUNNERS."
Connor: ON MAY 6, 1896,
SAMUEL LANGLEY'S AERODROME 5
WAS LAUNCHED FROM A HOUSEBOAT
ANCHORED IN THE POTOMAC RIVER.
THIS UNGUIDED
AND STEAM-POWERED AIRCRAFT
ACHIEVED A DISTANCE
OF NEARLY HALF A MILE.
Narrator:
IT'S THE LONGEST FLIGHT
OF AN UNPILOTED
MOTORIZED AIRCRAFT.
LANGLEY TRIES TO KEEP HIS
AERODROMES IN THE PUBLIC EYE,
BUT RIVALS ECLIPSE HIS EFFORTS.
Connor: LANGLEY TENDED TO
DISAPPEAR INTO THE BACKGROUND
FAIRLY QUICKLY
AFTER THE WRIGHT BROTHERS'
FLIGHT AT KITTY HAWK.
BEING ABLE TO HAVE A HUMAN
IN THE AIRCRAFT
IS WHAT GETS THE ATTENTION.
¶
Narrator: BY WORLD WAR I,
MANNED FLIGHT IS AN INTEGRAL
PART OF BATTLEFIELD TACTICS...
¶
BUT AT HIGH RISK TO THE PILOTS.
SOME WONDER IF THE BEST WAY
TO PREVENT THE LOSS OF AIRMEN
IS TO REMOVE THE PILOT
ALTOGETHER.
Connor: THERE WERE
A HANDFUL OF INNOVATORS
WHO WERE LOOKING
FOR AN ALTERNATIVE
THAT WOULD NOT BE VULNERABLE
TO AIR DEFENSES IN THE SAME WAY
THAT THE MANNED AIRCRAFT WERE.
Narrator:
ONE OF THOSE INNOVATORS
IS CHARLES KETTERING.
THE MILITARY ENLISTS HIM
IN A TOP SECRET PROJECT:
TO DESIGN AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
THAT CAN ACT AS A FLYING BOMB.
THE AIRCRAFT IS CALLED
"THE KETTERING BUG."
Connor:
THE KETTERING BUG LAUNCHED
BY ROLLING DOWN A TRACK
ON A DOLLY.
WHEN IT BECAME AIRBORNE,
AN AUTOPILOT STEERED IT
ON A CONSTANT COMPASS HEADING.
A TIMER ON BOARD WAS SET
SO THAT WHEN IT TRAVELED
A CERTAIN DISTANCE,
THE ENGINE WOULD CUT OUT
AND IT WOULD FALL FROM THE SKY
WITH ITS LOAD OF EXPLOSIVES.
¶
Narrator: THE TECHNOLOGY
IS REVOLUTIONARY...
WHEN IT WORKS.
¶
Connor: IN REALITY,
THEY WERE NEVER ABLE TO ACHIEVE
THEIR OBJECTIVE
OF GOING LONG DISTANCES.
AT ABOUT THE TIME THAT
THEY WERE DEVELOPING THIS,
MANNED BOMBERS
HAD BEGUN TO MATURE
AND WERE MORE FAR CAPABLE
THAN ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE
WITH AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.
THIS ESSENTIALLY MADE THE WHOLE
KETTERING BUG IDEA OBSOLETE.
¶
Narrator: IT ISN'T LONG
BEFORE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
ARE BACK ON THE AGENDA.
THIS TIME, IT'S THE DRONES
THAT ARE THE TARGET.
Connor: THE YEARS LEADING UP
TO WORLD WAR II
SAW A RESURGENCE
IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.
THE PRIMARY MOTIVATION EARLY ON
WAS THEIR USE IN TRAINING
ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNNERS.
Narrator: THE MILITARY TAKES
OBSOLETE FIGHTER PLANES,
ADDS RADIO CONTROL SYSTEMS,
AND BLOWS THEM UP.
Connor: TARGET DRONES
WERE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY
OF TRAINING
ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNNERS
AND GIVING REALISTIC TARGETS TO
PILOTS AND CREWS ON THE GROUND.
[GUNFIRE]
Narrator:
THE WAR DEPARTMENT RUSHES
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY.
THEY REQUEST AN ASSAULT DRONE.
THE PRIMARY USER: THE NAVY.
THE PROTOTYPES:
THE TDR AND TDN-1.
MARCH 1944.
THE NAVY DEPLOYS THE NEW DRONE
IN THE PACIFIC.
ITS TARGET: JAPANESE SHIPS.
ONCE THE DRONE IS AIRBORNE,
A PILOT FLYING
IN A NEARBY BOMBER
TAKES CONTROL.
A CAMERA IN THE DRONE'S NOSE
SENDS A SIGNAL
TO A 5-INCH TV SCREEN
IN THE BOMBER'S REAR COCKPIT.
THE DRONE CAN BE CONTROLLED
FROM UP TO EIGHT MILES AWAY.
IT CAN CARRY A TORPEDO
OR A 2,000-POUND BOMB.
[EXPLOSION]
THE NAVY HAS HIGH HOPES,
BUT THE RESULT
IS NOT IMPRESSIVE.
THE DRONES HIT JUST 50%
OF THEIR TARGETS.
Connor: CONVENTIONAL
AIRPLANES AND BOMBS
WERE STILL THE MOST EFFECTIVE
WAY OF ATTACKING THE ENEMY.
IN TERMS OF WHAT WE UNDERSTAND
AS A UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE
OR DRONE TODAY,
THAT IDEA DEVELOPED
A LOT MORE SLOWLY
DURING THE COLD WAR ERA.
¶
Narrator: MAY 1960.
THE UNITED STATES
SENDS RECONNAISSANCE PLANES OUT
OVER SOVIET AIRSPACE.
Connor: THE PRIMARY
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
AT THAT TIME
WAS THE LOCKHEED U-2 SPY PLANE.
THE U-2 WAS VERY CAPABLE,
BUT IT WAS ALSO VERY VULNERABLE.
Narrator: THE U.S. FINDS
JUST HOW VULNERABLE
WHEN ONE OF ITS
MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR SPY PLANES
GETS SHOT DOWN.
WITHIN DAYS,
THE PENTAGON LAUNCHES
A HIGHLY CLASSIFIED PROGRAM,
CODE NAMED "RED WAGON."
ITS GOAL:
TO FIND UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES
FOR MISSIONS TOO DULL, DIRTY,
OR DANGEROUS FOR MANNED FLIGHT.
Connor:
IN SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS,
THEY STUMBLED UPON
THE LIGHTNING BUG,
A VERY CAPABLE
RECONNAISSANCE PLATFORM.
Narrator: LIGHTNING BUGS
FLY OVER 34,000 MISSIONS
OVER SOUTHEAST ASIA.
BY 1979,
THEY'VE FALLEN OUT OF FAVOR.
Connor: UNFORTUNATELY,
AS DEFENSE BUDGETS
KIND OF SHRANK
IN THE POST-VIETNAM ERA,
MANNED SYSTEMS TOOK AWAY
FROM A LOT OF
UAV DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.
Narrator: ONLY ONE BRANCH
OF THE SERVICE
KEEPS FAITH IN THE TECHNOLOGY:
THE ARMY.
IN 1974, THEY PARTNER
WITH LOCKHEED MARTIN
TO DEVELOP A NEW DRONE.
[BUZZING]
ITS PURPOSE:
PICKING TARGETS
FOR THEIR BRAND-NEW
LASER-GUIDED ARTILLERY.
Man: OK, LOOKS LIKE WE GOT
A GOOD LAUNCH.
Narrator: THE DRONE IS CALLED
THE AQUILA,
LATIN FOR "EAGLE."
¶
Connor: THE AQUILA WOULD SPOT
A TARGET VIA TELEVISION FEED
TO A GROUND STATION.
IT WOULD DESIGNATE A TARGET
WITH ITS LASER,
AND THEN EITHER THE MISSILE
OR THE ARTILLERY ROUND
WOULD TRACK IN ON THAT.
[BOOM]
[EXPLOSION]
Narrator:
BUT JUST THREE YEARS IN,
THE PROGRAM'S COST
REACHES ONE BILLION DOLLARS.
IN 1987,
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
WITHDRAWS ITS FUNDING.
Connor: BECAUSE THE AQUILA
WAS THE MILITARY'S
BIGGEST DRONE PROGRAM,
ITS FAILURE GAVE DRONES
A HUGE BLACK EYE.
Narrator: THE AQUILA'S DEATH
IS A MAJOR SETBACK.
DRONES, IT SEEMS,
ARE NOT WORTH THEIR PRICE TAG.
RESURRECTION
WILL TAKE A MIRACLE.
Narrator: 1983.
IN THE UNITED STATES,
DRONES ARE ALL BUT DEAD.
6,000 MILES AWAY IN ISRAEL,
IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
ISRAELIS DEVELOP DRONES
THAT ARE SIMPLER, CHEAPER,
AND EASIER TO OPERATE.
THEY SCOUT SYRIAN RADAR SITES.
THEY DESIGNATE TARGETS
FOR ISRAELI WEAPONS SYSTEMS.
THE U.S. NAVY TAKES NOTE.
Connor: THE U.S. NAVY
QUICKLY REALIZED
THAT THESE DRONES
OFFER CAPABILITIES
THAT THEY HAD LONG BEEN MISSING.
AND SO QUICKLY THE U.S. NAVY
CONTRACTED WITH THE ISRAELIS
TO PROCURE SOME OF THOSE,
AND THAT SOON DEVELOPED
INTO A CONTRACT
FOR WHAT BECAME KNOWN
AS THE RQ-2 PIONEER.
Narrator: THE PIONEER
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MUCH,
BUT JUST FOUR YEARS
AFTER IT'S BORN,
IT CHANGES THE FACE OF WARFARE.
FEBRUARY 1991.
KUWAIT.
OPERATION DESERT STORM.
THE U.S.S. WISCONSIN
SITS DEEP IN THE PERSIAN GULF,
WAITING TO ATTACK.
ON DECK, ITS CREW GETS READY
TO HUNT FOR IRAQI MISSILE SITES,
USING ITS BRAND-NEW DRONE:
THE PIONEER.
Randal McDonald:
THE PIONEER WAS A PURCHASE
TO PROVIDE GUNFIRE SPOTTING
FOR THE 5-INCH GUNS
AND PARTICULARLY
FOR THE 16-INCH GUNS.
Narrator: LIEUTENANT COMMANDER
RANDAL McDONALD
WAS THE OFFICER IN CHARGE
OF PIONEER OPERATIONS
ON THE U.S.S. WISCONSIN.
Randal McDonald:
THE 16-INCH GUNS
COULD THROW A 1-TON SHELL
27 MILES AWAY.
[EXPLOSION]
IT WAS HARD TO TELL WHAT DAMAGE
WAS ACTUALLY BEING DONE
WHEN YOU'RE THAT FAR AWAY,
SO OUR AIRCRAFT
WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED
TO WATCH THE TARGET AREAS,
DIRECT THE LINE OF FIRE,
AND ALLOW THE GUNNERS
TO MAKE QUICK CORRECTIONS.
Narrator:
THE PIONEER TURNS OUT TO BE
THE MOST EFFECTIVE DRONE
THE NAVY'S EVER HAD.
PIONEERS GUIDE NEARLY
A MILLION POUNDS OF NAVY GUNFIRE
ONTO IRAQI MISSILE SITES.
BUT IT'S THE NEW AIRCRAFT'S
FEAR FACTOR
THAT GIVES DRONES
A WHOLE NEW REPUTATION.
Connor:
ON FEBRUARY 27th OF 1991
THE PIONEER WAS SPOTTING
FOR NAVAL GUNFIRE.
WHILE FLYING LOW, THEY CAME
ACROSS A GROUP OF IRAQIS
WHO WERE ABLE TO SEE
THE PIONEER IN THE AIR
AND WHO UNDERSTOOD THAT USUALLY
WHEN ONE SAW A PIONEER
IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY 16-INCH
ROUNDS FROM THE BATTLESHIPS.
McDonald: AND THAT'S WHEN
THE IRAQI SOLDIERS
STARTED WAVING WHITE FLAGS,
WHITE T-SHIRTS, TOWELS...
WHATEVER THEY COULD.
THAT WAS
THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY
THAT A HUMAN
SURRENDERED TO A ROBOT.
Narrator: THE PIONEER
MAKES DRONES LOOK GOOD,
BUT THEY STILL HAVE
SERIOUS LIMITATIONS.
Connor: ONE OF THE BIGGEST
PROBLEMS WITH UAVs
WAS THAT THEY REQUIRED
LINE-OF-SIGHT COMMUNICATIONS.
SO, AS SOON AS IT
WENT OVER THE HORIZON,
YOU WOULD LOSE CONTROL OF IT
AS WELL AS LOSING
YOUR LIVE VIDEO FEED.
Narrator: THE SOLUTION COMES
FROM AEROSPACE ENGINEER
ABRAHAM KAREM.
IN 1994,
KAREM DESIGNS A FRAME
THAT INCORPORATES
SOMETHING REVOLUTIONARY
INTO THE DRONE'S BODY:
A SATELLITE SYSTEM.
HIS DESIGN
IS CALLED THE PREDATOR.
Connor: ONE OF THE MOST
REVOLUTIONARY THINGS
ABOUT THE PREDATOR
IS THE FACT THAT IT IS
ABLE TO BE CONTROLLED
AS WELL AS MONITORED
ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE
OF THE PLANET.
Narrator: WHEN THE PREDATOR
FLIES BEYOND THE LINE OF SIGHT,
IT CONNECTS TO A KU-BAND
SATELLITE SYSTEM.
THE SATELLITE
PICKS UP INFORMATION
FROM THE GROUND CONTROL STATION
AND RELAYS IT TO THE AIRCRAFT.
THIS ALLOWS THE CREW TO CONTROL
THE AIRCRAFT'S MOVEMENT
AND ITS SENSOR BALL.
THE PREDATOR
SCANS THE GROUND BELOW
AND BEAMS THE VIDEO
OR PHOTOGRAPHS
BACK TO THE SATELLITE SYSTEM,
WHICH THEN TRANSMITS THE IMAGES
BACK TO THE CONTROL STATION
FOR THE CREW TO RESPOND.
Cluff: THE ONLY
LIMITATION WE HAVE
IS THE LAG TIME
IN GETTING THE SIGNAL
TO THE CONTROL STATION
FROM THE AIRPLANE,
AND THAT TYPICALLY IS ANYWHERE
FROM 1.5 TO 2 SECONDS.
Narrator: SATELLITE CONTROL
ALLOWS THE PREDATOR TO TAKE
ITS ROVING EYE AROUND THE WORLD
AND IN MISSIONS CLOSE TO HOME--
SOME OF WHICH HAVE
NOTHING TO DO WITH COMBAT.
¶
AUGUST 2013.
CALIFORNIA.
FIRE THREATENS TO DESTROY
THE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.
Reporter: YOU'RE LOOKING AT
SOME OF THE 187,000 ACRES
THAT HAS BEEN BURNED
BY THE RIM FIRE.
[SIRENS]
Narrator: 50,000 FIREFIGHTERS
COME OUT IN FULL FORCE.
THE FIRE IS FAST AND DANGEROUS.
FIREFIGHTERS
ARE QUICKLY OVERWHELMED.
THE CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD'S
163rd RECONNAISSANCE WING
STEPS IN TO HELP.
Dana Hessheimer:
IT WAS SUNDAY, AUGUST 25th,
WHEN I GOT THE CALL TO SAY,
"HEY, BE PREPARED,
WE MIGHT USE A MQ-1 PREDATOR
TO HELP SUPPORT
THE EFFORTS AT THE RIM FIRE."
Narrator:
COLONEL DANA HESSHEIMER
IS COMMANDER
OF THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD'S
163rd RECONNAISSANCE WING.
Hessheimer: I WANTED TO GET
OUT THERE AS SOON AS WE COULD
BECAUSE THEIR REQUEST WAS
FOR PERSISTENT SURVEILLANCE.
AND WE KNEW WE COULD
PROVIDE THAT FOR THEM
BECAUSE THAT'S
WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR
IS NOTORIOUS FOR ITS WEAPONS.
BUT SURVEILLANCE
WAS ITS FIRST PURPOSE.
IT'S DESIGNED TO HOVER
AND WATCH.
Man: THE MQ-1B PREDATOR,
ONE OF THE BIG ADVANTAGES
THAT IT BRINGS,
IS IT BRINGS ABOUT
24 HOURS OF LOITER TIME,
WHICH A MANNED AIRCRAFT
JUST CANNOT DO.
Narrator: THE MQ-1B PREDATOR
HAS FOUR CAMERAS
EMBEDDED IN ITS BODY,
STARTING WITH ITS NOSE.
Man: NORMALLY
ON TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS
THE PILOT WILL BE
USING THAT CAMERA
BECAUSE IT'S POINTED
STRAIGHT OFF,
IT'S FIXED, AND IT DOESN'T MOVE.
Narrator:
THE OTHER THREE CAMERAS
ARE IN THE PREDATOR'S BELLY,
ON ITS GYRO-STABILIZED
SENSOR BALL.
THE FIRST
IS A TWO-FOR-ONE-SPECIAL:
IT CONTAINS ONE TV CAMERA
OPTIMIZED FOR DAYLIGHT
AND ONE THAT SEES IN INFRARED.
IT CAN SEE THROUGH
CLOUDS AND SMOKE.
THE LAST CAMERA OFFERS A WIDE
AND ULTRA-WIDE POINT OF VIEW.
FOUR FULL-MOTION CAMERAS.
FOUR OPTIONS
FOR REAL-TIME VIDEO.
Man: ULTIMATELY
THE GREATEST CAPABILITY
THAT REMOTELY PILOTED
AIRCRAFT BRING
IS WE NEVER HAVE TO PUT
A PILOT IN HARM'S WAY.
Narrator:
MARCH AIR FORCE BASE,
CALIFORNIA.
350 MILES AWAY FROM YOSEMITE,
AN MQ-1B PREDATOR TAKES OFF
AND HEADS TOWARD THE FIRE.
¶
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
THAT THE NATIONAL GUARD
HAS USED THE AIRCRAFT
TO SUPPORT CIVILIAN AUTHORITIES.
IT'S A POWERFUL ASSIST...
IF THEY CAN PULL IT OFF.
Hessheimer: I WAS ACTUALLY
PRETTY EXCITED
THAT WE MIGHT HAVE
THE CAPABILITY
TO ACTUALLY SUPPORT
THE FIREFIGHTERS.
WE KNEW THIS WAS A CHANCE
TO SHOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
THAT THIS JUST WASN'T
A KILLING MACHINE,
BUT THAT THIS TECHNOLOGY
COULD BE USED FOR GOOD.
Narrator:
TWO HOURS INTO ITS FLIGHT,
THE PREDATOR REACHES YOSEMITE.
ITS SENSOR OPERATOR AND PILOT
SURVEY THE FIRE BELOW.
¶
Hessheimer: THERE WAS THOUSANDS
OF FIREFIGHTERS ON THE GROUND.
SOMETIMES THE FIRE WOULD
ACTUALLY BE GOING
OVER THE FIREFIGHTERS' HEADS
BECAUSE THOSE TREES
WERE SO TALL,
AND THEY WEREN'T EVEN
AWARE OF IT.
Narrator: THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE
SPREAD OVER HUNDREDS OF MILES.
KEEPING TABS ON THEM ALL
IS A CHALLENGE.
Hessheimer:
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS
OF THE INCIDENT COMMANDER
WHEN THEY'RE FIGHTING A FIRE
IS TO MAKE SURE THEY KEEP TRACK
OF ALL THEIR CREWS.
BECAUSE OF
THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN,
IT'S TOUGH TO CONTINUE
TO HAVE COMMUNICATIONS.
Narrator: SOON AFTER
THE PREDATOR ARRIVES,
HESSHEIMER'S CREW LEARNS
THAT SOMETHING ON THE GROUND
HAS GONE TERRIBLY WRONG.
Hessheimer:
THE INCIDENT COMMANDER
LOST COMMUNICATIONS
WITH ONE OF HIS FIRE CREWS
AND ASKED US IF WE COULD HELP
FIND HIS FIRE CREW.
THE WORST THING
THAT COULD HAPPEN IS OBVIOUSLY
IF THAT FIRE ENGULFED
THE FIREFIGHTER CREWS
AND THEY COULDN'T GET OUT OF IT.
¶
Narrator: HESSHEIMER QUICKLY
REROUTES THE PREDATOR
TO THE MEN'S
LAST KNOWN LOCATION.
Hessheimer:
IT WAS SUCH A HUGE FIRE
THAT THE SMOKE PLUME
WAS GOING UP TO 30,000 FEET,
BUT THE INFRARED CAMERA
CAN SEE THROUGH SMOKE,
SO WE STARTED STREAMING
FULL-MOTION VIDEO
TO THE INCIDENT COMMANDER.
Narrator: THE PREDATOR
MOVES SLOWLY OVER THE FIRE,
SCANNING A VAST TERRITORY.
THE SENSOR OPERATOR
PORES THROUGH THE VIDEO.
THE MOOD IS TENSE.
IF THE PREDATOR CAN'T FIND
THE FIREFIGHTERS,
THEY MAY STAY LOST FOR GOOD.
Narrator: A PREDATOR CIRCLES
HIGH ABOVE YOSEMITE
NATIONAL FOREST,
SEARCHING THROUGH THE SMOKE FOR
A SMALL TEAM OF FIREFIGHTERS.
THE SENSOR OPERATOR NOTICES
SEVERAL SMALL FIGURES
MAKING THEIR WAY
UP A RIDGE LINE.
Hessheimer: WITHIN FIVE MINUTES
WE FOUND THE CREW,
AND THEN WE RELAYED BACK
TO THE INCIDENT COMMANDER
THAT HIS CREW WAS SAFE.
¶
THAT'S WHEN THEY REALIZED
THAT THIS WAS A GAME CHANGER.
Narrator:
OVER THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS,
THE PREDATOR FLIES
OVER 80 HOURS OF SUPPORT.
IT CONTINUES TO PROVE ITS WORTH
WITH EVERY FLIGHT.
Hessheimer: WE HELPED
THE INCIDENT COMMANDER
FIND LOST FIRE CREWS,
WE HELPED THEM SAVE YOSEMITE,
AND WE ALSO HELPED THEM
LOOK AND PROTECT
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE,
LIKE THE POWER LINES.
Narrator: THE FIRE DESTROYS
250,000 ACRES,
BUT NOT A SINGLE LIFE IS LOST.
OVER 7,000 MILES AWAY,
A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF DRONE
IS BROUGHT IN TO SAVE LIVES.
THIS TIME, BY THE U.S. ARMY.
2010.
AFGHANISTAN.
FOR U.S. TROOPS,
IT'S THE DEADLIEST YEAR YET.
[EXPLOSION]
Man: OH! IED! IED!
Reporter: IN ALL THE YEARS
THAT AMERICAN TROOPS
HAVE BEEN FIGHTING
IN AFGHANISTAN,
THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN
THIS MANY IED ATTACKS.
[EXPLOSIONS]
Narrator:
IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES
ON AFGHANI ROADS
KILL DOZENS OF SOLDIERS.
A $17 BILLION
U.S. COUNTEROFFENSIVE
DOES LITTLE TO STEM THE PROBLEM.
Darren Bland: DURING OUR TOUR
IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN
IT SEEMED LIKE OUR GUYS
WERE ENCOUNTERING IEDs
PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY.
Narrator: SERGEANT DARREN BLAND
SERVED THREE TOURS
IN OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.
Bland: A LOT OF TIMES
WHAT WE WOULD FIND
IS AS SOON AS
WE'VE STOPPED AT ONE IED,
JUST AROUND THE NEXT CORNER
OR THE NEXT BEND,
THEY'D BE PUTTING IN
ANOTHER ONE.
Narrator: NOW BLAND'S UNIT
HAS A NEW TOOL
TO BATTLE THE IED THREAT.
IT WEIGHS JUST 17 POUNDS,
BUT THE ARMY BELIEVES
IT'S THE NEXT BIG THING.
THE RQ-20 PUMA
IS PROPELLER-DRIVEN,
BATTERY-POWERED,
AND DESIGNED TO BE
READY FOR COMBAT
IN ANY PLACE, AT ANY TIME.
Nick Kioutas: THEY CAN PUT
THIS SYSTEM TOGETHER
IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES.
THEY'RE ABLE TO DO IT QUICKLY
WITHOUT HAVING TO CALL
HIGHER ECHELONS FOR SUPPORT.
Narrator: LARGER DRONES
NEED A RUNWAY OR A CATAPULT
TO GET THEM INTO THE AIR.
NOT THE PUMA.
IT'S DESIGNED TO BE LAUNCHED
RIGHT FROM
THE SOLDIER'S OWN HANDS.
EACH PUMA TEAM HAS TWO MEMBERS.
THE MISSION OPERATOR
IS THE PUMA'S BRAINS.
HE USES A TOUCH SCREEN LAPTOP
TO PROGRAM THE PUMA'S ROUTE.
A GPS EMBEDDED
IN THE PUMA'S BODY
ALLOWS HIM TO TRACK IT
ON A DETAILED MAP.
THE VEHICLE OPERATOR
CONTROLS THE PUMA'S EYES.
HE USES A TABLET
WITH CONTROL STICKS
TO PILOT THE AIRCRAFT
AND MONITOR WHAT IT SEES.
Kioutas: HE CAN IDENTIFY
ENEMY SOLDIERS WITH WEAPONS
OR WHAT THEIR INTENT IS.
Narrator:
THE PUMA MAKES A BIG PROMISE:
TO SAVE SOLDIERS' LIVES.
AFGHANISTAN
IS ITS FIRST REAL TEST.
SERGEANT DARREN BLAND
AND HIS UNIT
DRIVE DEEP INTO
THE AFGHANI COUNTRYSIDE.
BEHIND THEM,
A CONVOY OF VITAL SUPPLIES.
THE ROAD IS ONE OF
AFGHANISTAN'S DEADLIEST.
BLAND'S UNIT MUST ENSURE
IT'S IED-FREE.
Bland: ON THIS SPECIFIC ROUTE
THERE ARE SEVERAL AREAS
THAT WERE TYPICAL SPOTS
WHERE PEOPLE WOULD TRY TO PLACE
IEDs IN FRONT OF A CONVOY.
IF YOU JUST MISS ONE IED
AND ONE OF THOSE TRUCKS
GETS HIT, IT'S PRETTY SERIOUS,
SO WE DECIDED TO TAKE
THE PUMA ALONG WITH US
TO PROVIDE INTELLIGENCE,
SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE
OF THE ROUTE
THAT WE WERE CLEARING.
Narrator:
BLAND'S HUMVEE PULLS OFF
BEFORE IT REACHES
THE FIRST TROUBLE SPOT.
THE CONVOY CONTINUES ON AHEAD.
Bland: THE SPOT WE CHOSE TO
FLY FROM FOR THIS SPECIFIC DAY
WAS A GOOD SPOT
BECAUSE IT WAS HIDDEN
FROM THAT AREA,
AND WE COULD SEE AROUND THE
CORNER BEFORE THE CONVOY COULD.
THAT ALLOWED US
TO FLY AROUND, TAKE A LOOK
BEFORE THE ENEMY
WOULD EVER SEE A VEHICLE.
¶
Narrator: BLAND SCRAMBLES
TO GET THE PUMA IN THE AIR.
IT RACES AHEAD OF THE CONVOY,
LOOKING FOR THREATS.
Bland: IT'S ALWAYS
IN THE BACK OF MY MIND
THAT THAT CONVOY'S
STILL MOVING FORWARD
AND THAT IF I DON'T IDENTIFY
THE THREATS QUICK ENOUGH,
IT MIGHT BE TOO LATE.
¶
Narrator: AT FIRST, NOTHING.
¶
BUT THEN, THE VEHICLE OPERATOR
HOMES IN
ON SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS.
Bland:
AROUND THE NEXT TURN IN THE ROAD
WE NOTICED THAT
THERE WERE THREE GUYS
AROUND A HOLE
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
ONCE WE NOTICED
THE GUYS IN THE ROAD DIGGING,
WE PRETTY MUCH KNEW
WHAT WAS GOING ON.
THEY WERE TRYING
TO EMPLACE AN IED.
WE RADIOED THE CONVOY
WITH AN ALL-STOP,
WHICH MEANS EVERY VEHICLE IN
THAT CONVOY STOPS IMMEDIATELY.
¶
Narrator: SOMEHOW THE INSURGENTS
SENSE THEY'VE BEEN SPOTTED.
A TEAM OF SOLDIERS
DISMOUNTS FROM THE CONVOY
AND HEADS TOWARD THE INSURGENTS.
BUT WHEN THE SOLDIERS ARRIVE,
THE INSURGENTS ARE GONE.
Bland: THEY MOVED UP THE ROAD
AND AROUND ANOTHER CORNER
TO A VEHICLE
WHERE THEY PUT THE IED
IN THE BACK OF THEIR VEHICLE
AND THEY DROVE AWAY.
Narrator: TODAY'S SCORE:
AMERICA, ONE; TALIBAN, ZERO.
Bland: THOSE GUYS COULDN'T
COMPLETE THE JOB,
THEY DIDN'T GET
THE IEDs IN PLACE.
BECAUSE OF THE PUMA WE WERE ABLE
TO ELIMINATE ONE MORE THREAT
TO OUR SOLDIERS ON THE GROUND.
¶
Narrator: THE U.S. ARMY
CURRENTLY HAS OVER 325 PUMAS
IN SERVICE.
IN MARCH 2012,
THEY SIGNED A $20 MILLION
CONTRACT FOR MORE.
Connor: THE INCREASED USE
OF SMALLER UAVs,
EVEN PERSONAL UAVs
ON THE BATTLEFIELD,
IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
Narrator: THE MILITARY
ISN'T THE ONLY GROUP
FINDING NEW WAYS TO USE DRONES.
THE FASTEST-GROWING MARKET
IS WITH CIVILIANS.
APRIL 2012.
LIBERTY, TEXAS.
A 2 1/2-YEAR-OLD BOY
HAS BEEN MISSING FOR A WEEK.
Ken Defoor: WE PROBABLY HAD
AT LEAST 200 PEOPLE INVOLVED
IN BOTH THE SEARCHING AND THE
OPERATION DEVELOPMENT ITSELF.
Narrator: CAPTAIN KEN DEFOOR
HAS BEEN WITH THE LIBERTY COUNTY
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
FOR FOUR YEARS.
Defoor: THIS WAS
A VERY SWAMPY AREA,
IT WAS ALLIGATOR-INFESTED,
SNAKE-INFESTED.
THERE'S ALL KINDS
OF ANIMALS IN THERE
THAT WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL,
NOT ONLY TO A YOUNG CHILD,
BUT TO THE SEARCHERS THEMSELVES.
Narrator: THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
AND HUNDREDS OF MAN-HOURS LATER,
INVESTIGATORS
ARE STILL AT SQUARE ONE.
Defoor: WE HAD FOOT SEARCHERS,
ATVs, DIVE TEAMS,
AERIAL SURVEILLANCES,
WE USED EVERY TECHNOLOGY
AND EVERY RESOURCE THAT WE HAD.
Narrator:
BUT THERE'S ONE RESOURCE
THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE
HASN'T YET USED:
A DRONE.
Gene Robinson:
MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
AND FIRST RESPONDERS
DON'T HAVE VERY LARGE BUDGETS.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT
FOR THEM TO CONSIDER
PURCHASING
THIS SORT OF TECHNOLOGY
BECAUSE THEY, QUITE FRANKLY,
CAN'T AFFORD IT.
Narrator: GENE ROBINSON
HAS DESIGNED
UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES
FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
Robinson: THAT'S WHERE
A CIVILIAN CAN COME IN
AND PROVIDE
THE SAME SORT OF SERVICE
THAT A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
WOULD NEED.
Narrator: DESIGNING DRONES
USED TO BE
THE MILITARY'S TERRITORY.
TODAY, CIVILIANS MAKE THEM, TOO.
Robinson:
THE CAMERAS THAT WE USE
HAPPEN TO HAVE THE FOCAL LENGTH
THAT FITS WITH
A 400-FOOT ALTITUDE
AND GIVES US
SUFFICIENT RESOLUTION
TO BE ABLE TO USE THEM
IN SEARCH AND RESCUE.
Narrator:
200 MILES FROM LIBERTY,
ROBINSON VOLUNTEERS HIS SPECTRA
TO HELP SEARCH
FOR THE MISSING CHILD.
Robinson:
BASED ON OUR PAST EXPERIENCE,
WE FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE
A RECOVERY RATHER THAN A RESCUE,
WHICH IS ALWAYS DISCONCERTING.
BUT IT'S JUST AS IMPORTANT
TO BRING THAT CHILD HOME
IN ANY CASE.
Narrator: DOUBT ABOUT THE DRONE
ADDS TO THE TENSION.
Robinson: THE AREA HAD BEEN
COVERED VERY THOROUGHLY
AND THERE WAS GREATER POTENTIAL
THAT WE WERE NOT
GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
EVEN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT
WERE SKEPTICS
BECAUSE THEY HAD ALREADY
RESIGNED THEMSELVES
THAT THIS WAS NOT
GOING TO BE SOLVABLE.
Narrator:
ROBINSON KNOWS HIS SPECTRA
JUST MAY BE THE LAST CHANCE
TO LEARN THE CHILD'S FATE.
Robinson: WE DON'T TRY TO GUESS
THE OUTCOME OF ANY MISSIONS,
WHETHER THEY BE
SUCCESSFUL OR NOT.
WE JUST GO AND TRY
TO DO THE MISSION.
[BUZZING]
Narrator: A 2 1/2-YEAR-OLD CHILD
IS MISSING IN TEXAS.
THE LAST CHANCE TO FIND HIM:
A DRONE.
Robinson: WE WERE ADVISED
THAT THIS WAS IT,
THIS WAS THE LAST EFFORT
THAT WAS GOING TO BE MADE
FOR THE SEARCH.
THEY FELT THAT THEY HAD DONE
EVERYTHING THEY COULD DO.
Narrator: ROBINSON LAUNCHES
THE SPECTRA INTO THE SKY.
IT'S TIME FOR THE DRONE
TO PERFORM.
Robinson: WE WERE BRIEFED AS TO
WHAT THE CHILD WAS WEARING,
WE WERE TOLD WHITE JERSEY,
MAROON RAGLAN SLEEVES.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
Narrator:
ROBINSON INITIATES AUTOPILOT,
THE BRAIN OF THE DRONE ITSELF.
Robinson: THE AUTOPILOT
THAT WE USE IN THE SPECTRA
IS A VERY SMART PIECE
OF EQUIPMENT.
IT AUTOMATICALLY CALCULATES,
BASED ON THE ALTITUDE
AND SPEED,
WHEN TO TAKE A PICTURE
AND GIVE US WHATEVER
OVERLAP WE SPECIFY.
THIS ENSURES US 100% COVERAGE
OF THE SEARCH AREA.
Narrator: TEN MINUTES LATER
THE SPECTRA IS BACK.
ROBINSON QUICKLY
TAKES ITS MEMORY CARD
TO HIS MOBILE HEADQUARTERS.
Robinson: WE CAN ZOOM IN
TO THESE IMAGES
AND SEE THINGS ON THE GROUND.
THIS IS THE PROCESS
OF SQUINTING.
Narrator: IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG
BEFORE A SQUINT
POINTS OUT
AN OBJECT OF INTEREST:
A RED DOT IN THE WATER.
A HELICOPTER TEAM TAKES OFF
TO GET A CLOSER LOOK.
Robinson:
THE HELICOPTER CAME IN,
AND THIS TIME, DIRECTED BY US,
FLEW TO THE RED OBJECT.
AND AS THEY HOVERED
OVER THE LAKE,
WE HAD RADIO CONTACT
COME THROUGH TO THE RANGERS
THAT POSITIVE ID WAS MADE
AND THE CHILD WAS FOUND.
Narrator:
THE TEAM IS TOO LATE.
IT'S A DEVASTATING END
TO A TRAGIC STORY.
BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.
Defoor: THE PHOTOGRAPHS
ALSO PHOTOGRAPHED AN ALLIGATOR
WITHIN ABOUT 30 YARDS OF
THE REMAINS OF THE LITTLE BOY.
SO HAD WE NOT RECOVERED
THE BODY WITHIN THAT HOUR,
WE WOULD HAVE NEVER RECOVERED
THAT LITTLE BOY.
Narrator: FOR ROBINSON,
THE DRONE'S PERFORMANCE
IS A VINDICATION.
Robinson: WE MANAGED
TO PROVE A LOT THAT DAY
AND MANAGED TO CHANGE
A LOT OF MINDS
ABOUT WHAT A DRONE,
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT CAN DO.
[BUZZING]
Narrator: DRONES.
44 COUNTRIES USE THEM FOR
THEIR MILITARY OPERATIONS.
THE GLOBAL HAWK...
THE SHADOW...
THE HUNTER...
THE RAVEN...
THE REAPER...
THE K-MAX HELICOPTER.
THE LIST GROWS EVERY YEAR.
¶
Swanson: ANYTHING THAT CAN BE
DONE WITH A MANNED AIRCRAFT
HAS THE CAPABILITY
TO BE DONE UNMANNED.
WITHIN A FEW YEARS,
THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING THINGS
THAT WE NEVER HAD IMAGINED
THAT EITHER A MANNED
OR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
MAY BE CONDUCTING.
Narrator: IN 2014 ALONE,
THE PENTAGON SPENT
ALMOST $2.5 BILLION
ON DRONE DEVELOPMENT.
WITH A DRONE, THERE'S NO NEED
FOR EJECTION SEATS,
LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS,
OR EVEN A COCKPIT.
SPACE NORMALLY RESERVED
FOR A PILOT
CAN GO TO SENSORS, WEAPONS,
OR EXTRA FUEL.
DRONES DON'T JUST DO
WHAT THEY'RE TOLD;
SOON, THEY'LL THINK
FOR THEMSELVES, TOO.
Connor: THE NEXT STEP
IS GOING TO BE A BIG ONE,
AND THIS IS THE INCREASED USE OF
AUTONOMOUS FULLY ARMED DRONES,
SO THINGS LIKE THE NAVY'S X-47B.
Narrator: THE X-47B
USES AN ONBOARD COMPUTER
TO TAKE OFF AND LAND.
WHEN IT'S IN THE AIR,
IT PILOTS ITSELF.
Connor: THESE AIRCRAFT WILL FLY
FULLY AUTONOMOUS MISSIONS,
BUT IT IS GOING TO BE
A BIT FURTHER IN THE FUTURE
BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT
OF TECHNICAL ISSUES
THAT HAVE TO BE RESOLVED,
AND IT'S GOING TO BE
EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.
Narrator: CIVILIAN DRONES
HAVE EXPLODED, TOO,
CREATING AN ANNUAL MARKET
ESTIMATED AT MORE THAN
A BILLION DOLLARS.
Connor: THE CIVILIAN MARKET
HAS JUST COMPLETELY EXPLODED
IN FASCINATING AND
KIND OF UNBELIEVABLE NEW WAYS,
WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF THESE THINGS
BEING PRODUCED AROUND THE GLOBE.
THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF NEW
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR USE,
FROM REAL ESTATE AGENTS
TO POWER COMPANIES
THAT WANT TO INSPECT
THEIR TRANSMISSION LINES
TO POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT WANT
TO SPOT ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS
WHO'VE WANDERED AWAY
FROM A NURSING HOME.
Narrator: IT'S SCIENCE
MEETS SCIENCE FICTION.
FROM THE BATTLEFIELD...
TO THE BACKYARD,
EACH GENERATION OF DRONES GETS
FASTER, STRONGER, AND SMARTER.
THE NEXT TIME YOU LOOK UP AND
SEE SOMETHING FLYING ABOVE YOU,
TAKE A GOOD LOOK.
IT JUST MAY BE
THE FUTURE OF AVIATION.
¶