San Diego's drone industry doubles in size
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/oct/31/san-diegos-uav-industry-doubles-size/?sciquest
The MQ-9 Reaper was developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and can be used as a hunter-killer as well as a tool for intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance.
San Diego's drone industry doubles in size
Written by Gary Robbins
6:32 a.m., Oct. 31, 2012 Updated 12:45 p.m.
The size of San Diego Countys unmanned aerial vehicle industry doubled over the past five years and could double again as UAVs are increasingly used for everything from spying on suspected terrorists abroad to monitoring the U.S.-Mexico border, says a National University System report released Wednesday.
The industry, which is centered in North County, generated at least $1.3 billion locally in 2011 and directly and indirectly supported 7,135 jobs. The report says the true impact could be far higher due to classified programs that are not included in public records.
Most of the business can be tied to two defense giants Northrop Grumman of Rancho Bernardo, which specializes in Global Hawk UAVs, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems of Poway, which is best-known for Predators.
Both companies develop a variety of the so-called drones, primarily for use outside the U.S. by the military and government. The UAVs were extensively used in the Iraq war, and are being used in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. But the UAVs may soon also be used domestically by law enforcement and other agencies, a move that is opposed by many privacy advocates.