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Back to Which Way, L.A.?

Which Way, L.A.?

Is America Ready for Unmanned Drones?

Unmanned drones include Predators and Reapers able to carry missiles and 500-pound bombs. The new Switchblade weighs six pounds all by itself, fits into a soldier's rucksack, and can take out a rooftop sniper without destroying the building he stands on.  Drones small enough to fly inside buildings will be available soon.

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By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

Unmanned drones include Predators and Reapers able to carry missiles and 500-pound bombs. The new Switchblade weighs six pounds all by itself, fits into a soldier's rucksack, and can take out a rooftop sniper without destroying the building he stands on. Drones small enough to fly inside buildings will be available soon. Congress has ordered the FAA to develop new rules for the use of drones for civilian purposes inside the United States, anticipating that some 30,000 drones of all sizes will be using American airspace before 2020. In the meantime, the $6 billion drone industry has developed a voluntary Code of Conduct. What are the civilian applications? What are the risks? Can rules be developed quickly enough to keep up with a spreading technology?

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    Warren Olney

    former KCRW broadcaster

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    Frances Anderton

    architecture critic and author

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    Sonya Geis

    Senior Managing Editor

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    Andrea Brody

    Senior Producer, KCRW's Life Examined and To the Point podcast

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    William Hennigan

    Los Angeles Times / Chicago Tribune

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    Peter W. Singer

    Brookings Institution

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    Catherine Crump

    American Civil Liberties Union

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