When Cairns can expect delivery of hi-tech police drones to fight crime, car theft
A new date has been set for the delivery of hi-tech military-grade drones to fight Cairns and Townsville crime following a pledge made 10 months ago. When the drones will launch.
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A new date has been set for the delivery of hi-tech military-grade drones to fight Cairns and Townsville crime following the promise of game-changing technology 10 months ago.
The Queensland Police Service has now signed contracts with two suppliers that will deliver Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS).
Training of RPAS pilots to be based in Cairns and Townsville has begun ahead of a December launch of the airborne anti-crime tech.
“Following short-listing proposals against a set of complex evaluation criteria, successful suppliers were invited to demonstrate the effectiveness of their Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) to ensure claims made with regards to the specifications were accurate and met the specific needs of the QPS for North Queensland,” a police spokesman said.
The state-of-the-art drone technology, similar to hardware used by allied forces in international combat zones are part of a $400,000 Palaszczuk government investment.
The remotely piloted high-standard and advanced mission capable aircraft will slash deployment times currently limiting QGAir helicopters such as the Rescue 510 helicopter and more recently civilian aircraft contracted to work for police.
Caught in the grip of a stolen car spree, in the four days to Monday this week Cairns police arrested 28 people on a total of 222 property charges. In the same time frame 18 stolen cars were recovered.
The police stated supply chain and lengthy international freight delays were to blame for the delay of the trial.
“QPS is not immune to these concerns,” the spokesman said.
“We remain committed to obtaining and operationalising our RPAS at the earliest possible time, considering delays external to the organisation.”
The new airborne observation platform will be equipped with enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and advancements like artificial intelligence technologies for tracking stolen vehicles and sophisticated thermal imaging cameras for locating lost people.
The United States-sourced products required an export licence due to the drones being military-grade hardware.
Key partners such as the Civil Aviation Safety Authority being briefed on the progress of the drone trial, according to police.
Police have previously stated population size in Cairns and Townsville was considered too small for dedicated Polair helicopters and resources were better invested in other technologies, such as the new remotely piloted drone system.
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Originally published as When Cairns can expect delivery of hi-tech police drones to fight crime, car theft
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