UNMANNED TIMES

If I hadn't just spent the last month working on a magazine feature along very similar lines, I'd say this New York Times story on unmanned aerial vehicles was pretty damn good.

There are nearly a dozen varieties in service now, from the 4.5-pound Ravens that fly just above treetops, to the giant Global Hawks that can soar at 60,000 feet and take on sophisticated reconnaissance missions. And while much of the appeal of the aircraft is that they keep aircrews out of the line of fire, there are now so many of them buzzing around combat areas that, in fact, the airspace can get dangerously crowded.

In November, for example, a tiny Army Raven surveillance aircraft plowed into a Kiowa scout helicopter, causing no injuries or serious damage, but raising safety concerns...

Read the whole thing. Grrrr.