Geoffrey Ingersoll - Business Insider
In the eye of the beholder: The global identity of drones need not be defined solely above Pakistan.
Recently, the folks at the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce were nice enough to fly me out to Grand Forks so they could shamelessly heap praise on their drone infrastructure to national news reporters.
North Dakota is aiming to be one of six sites where the FAA will test drones with the goal of integrating them into U.S. airspace, and the latest reports say it most likely will be selected for this economic windfall.
Now I had long considered myself a staunch anti-drone activist, both here and abroad, due to concerns for privacy and debatable war tactics.
The researchers, veterans, and students in Grand Forks, however, may have started to change my mind. Highly professional and dedicated, they are committed to the idea that drones - excuse me, "Unmanned Aerial Systems" - can improve everything from agriculture to telecom to, yes, surveillance and war.