Monday, November 14, 2016

Company Recasts Killer Drone As Humanitarian Helper

San Diego-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), the manufacturer of the deadly Predator military drones, says it has retooled one of its aircraft to distribute and deliver emergency humanitarian food and medical supplies to remote areas. According to General Atomics, it has created a new aircraft called "Angel One", which it says had delivering 8,500 pounds of Humanitarian Daily Ration packets (HDRs) for 3,400 people each day. Those packets, which are similar to MREs and used by the Department of Defense to feed people in areas affected by war, are specifically designed for air drops, and to supply a full day's sustenance to severely malnourished individuals. General Atomics said it is targeting the aircraft to reach victims of war in such areas as Syria, or in areas which have been affected by natural disasters. The system also avoids the typical issues with dropping pallets -- which often end up not getting to the victims and usually require people on the ground to help distribute supplies fairly. The Predator--in its MQ-1 military form--is widely considered one of the most lethal tools for the U.S. military.

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