Says U.K. Government Officials Are Concerned That They Could Be Used To Deliberately Take Down A Passenger Jet

As if the UAV industry didn't have enough on its plate, a "defense specialist" says that unmanned aircraft have the potential to be used as weapons against commercial airliners in an effort to bring them down.

The person making the assertion is Colin Smith. The U.K newspaper The Daily Mail reports that Smith, a former chief inspector for the government, said that such aircraft could be purposely flown into the engines of a jetliner in an effort to bring it down. He also said that terrorist groups can use UAVs to fly banners and other propaganda at high-profile events.

Smith used the specter of an increase in reported near collisions between manned aircraft and UAVs to support his assertion.

According to the paper, the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority is considering rules similar to those under development by the FAA for registration, geo-fencing, and restrictions against flying near "congested areas."

According to the report, there were seven incidents in which UAVs were reported to have flown near airliners in the first seven months of 2015 in the U.K., one of which allegedly was within 50 feet of an Airbus A320. Another reportedly passed within 20 feet of an airliner on approach to Heathrow in July of 2014.

On his LinkedIn profile, Smith describes himself as "a retired UK Chief Police Officer [ACPO level] who has spent 37 years leading, managing, training and developing police and criminal justice in conflict environments, at strategic, tactical and operational levels."

(Image from file)

FMI: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/colin-smith-9353221b