When the drones go dancing
The future of drone technology is about to come dramatically to life at a tech conference in Cape Town, writes Arthur Goldstuck.
Drones
Drones fly into shaky legal web
The country’s booming use of unmanned aerial vehicles is on ice while new laws are drafted.
Drones offered to SA mines to ‘prevent another Marikana’
Desert Wolf, maker of the Skunk Riot Control Copter, says its machine is "designed to control unruly crowds". But labour activists are condemning it.
Pakistan to take US drone strike issue to UN
Pakistan says it would raise the issue of US drone strikes inside its territory at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Weekend 101: Nkandla, Thuli and Santa’s drones
This week, the ANC and the public protector spar about Nkandla, Dina Pule must apologise and Santa’s drones deliver gifts.
UN to start using surveillance drones in DRC
In a landmark intelligence-gathering exercise, the UN will begin using drones in the DRC to monitor its border and movements by armed groups.
Amazon drones and the rise of robotic air travel
Even if Amazon’s drone delivery service does not succeed, the idea it embodies is too powerful to suppress, writes Alistair Fairweather.
Denel: Africa’s future supplier of drones
Annual results show state arms company Denel continues to eke out profits, but it hopes exports of weapons to the rest of Africa will change that.
US drone strike in Pakistan kills 16
Unmanned US aircraft fired four missiles at a house in north-west Pakistan, killing 16 suspected militants, says Pakistani intelligence officials.
Côte d’Ivoire asks UN to replace peacekeepers with drones
Peacekeepers in Côte d’Ivoire could be substituted by drones in a further step towards greater use of the military aircraft in sub-Saharan Africa.
Report: SA to give Saudi Arabia killer drones
A Paris-based journal has said Denel intends to sell Saudi Arabia drone aircraft capable of firing missiles.
As drone monopoly frays, Obama seeks global rules
US President Barack Obama is now seeking to influence global guidelines for drone use as China and other countries pursue their own programmes.
Tension mounts as China, Japan ramp up airspace race
Drones have taken centre stage in an escalating arms race between China and Japan, who are struggle to assert their dominance over disputed islands.
Iran claims ‘capture’ of US drone
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have "captured" a US drone over Gulf waters, after it entered Iranian airspace.
Are drones any more immoral than other weapons of war?
The central issue with drone strikes comes down to how combatants are identified and what efforts are made to protect civilians.
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US builds drone bases in Africa, Arab Peninsula
The US is building a ring of secret drone bases in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula as part of a campaign against al-Qaeda affiliates.
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Britain seeks toy-size spy drones for Afghanistan
Swarms of miniature drones, weighing as little as 200g each, are being sought by Britain’s Ministry of Defence for rapid deployment in Afghanistan.
Attack of the drones
There is a second-and-a-half delay between the operator pressing his button and the Hellfire rocket erupting from the aircraft he is controlling.
