Robot Drones Have 'Changed War' in Iraq, Afghanistan

New study increases concern over respiratory issues

(NEWSER) - Why do so many young, previously healthy soldiers come back from the Middle East with respiratory problems, some so bad they can no longer pass a physical required for active duty? The question was made more urgent with the results of a new study showing that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans do indeed have a higher rate of respiratory illness than soldiers deployed in other areas. The study, thought to be the largest of its kind, shows that 14.5% of Iraq or Afghanistan veterans had respiratory illness, compared to just 1.8% of veterans deployed elsewhere, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Stealthy new planes can fly higher and faster than before

(NEWSER) - Last week, the US ran a secret test of an experimental spy plane that could revolutionize the war in Afghanistan. The $30 million plane, dubbed the Global Observer, has a wingspan almost as long as a Boeing 747, and can fly at stratospheric heights for days, keeping its “unblinking eye” on some 280,000 square miles—an area bigger than Afghanistan, the LA Times reports. More»

Some residents have privacy concerns

(NEWSER) - Soon, America’s fearsome spy drones will prowl the sky in Kandahar, Waziristan, and … South Beach? The Miami-Dade Police Department has struck a deal to buy a drone, WSN-TV reports. Many residents aren’t particularly happy about this, but police are eager to have “an eye up there,” the police director said. “Not a spying eye,” he added. “A surveilling eye to help us do the things we need to do, honestly, to keep people safe.” More»

(NEWSER) - Financially grounded by the recession, the Pentagon and governments around the world are launching blimps to spy on their enemies, the Economist reports. Such balloons cost far less than Predator and Global Hawk drones—which can sell for $35 million each—and stay airborne for more than a week, while drones last about 30 hours. Blimps are also hard to shoot down, even when they are hit. More»

Number of diagnosed cases rises 46% to 14,000 last year

(NEWSER) - Post-traumatic stress disorder is surging among US troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. New cases rose by more than 46% to nearly 14,000 in 2007, reports Reuters. In the last five years, about 40,000 cases have been diagnosed, most of them in the Army. More»