Drones to fly over parts of Onondaga, Madison and Oswego counties - New York

Syracuse, N.Y. - Drones have been approved for training flights over parts of Onondaga, Madison and Oswego counties, military officials announced today.

The remotely operated MQ-9 Reapers have already been flying over a far larger swath of upstate New York since October 2011. But the new federal approval has expanded that air space further south to include some of Central New York's most densely populated regions.

At a news conference, Col. Greg Semmel dismissed concerns about drone surveillance, praised their safety record and said the new air space would improve the efficiency of the Air National Guard's training operation.

"The flights have been highly successful and are critically important" for training drone operators who are then tasked with providing aerial cover for American soldiers at war, Semmel said.

The extra airspace - which stretches down to Syracuse, west to Camillus and east to Fayetteville - will give training officers more flexibility around Central New York's notoriously erratic weather, Semmel said. This will save the government money by reducing the number of delayed or canceled training exercises, he said.

The drones can also be used to gather information about natural disasters at the governor's request, Semmel said.

"There are so many opportunities to use this bird to help the citizens of New York," said Semmel, who spoke in front of a reaper and American flag at the Hancock Field Air National Guard Base.

Semmel also promised that the drones would never be used for surveillance on citizens, saying their operations are carefully circumscribed by federal laws.

"We will never perform targeted surveillance on any New Yorker or any other U.S. citizen during our training missions," Semmel said.

The 174th Attack Wing's four planes will not be used for local law enforcement either, Semmel said.

Asked how Central New Yorkers would react to the drones' presence in their area, Semmel noted that the training missions take place 18,000 feet in the air.

"They will very likely never see the airplane," Semmel said.

Story, Photos and Comments/Reaction:  http://www.syracuse.com