Drone Industry Brings Money, Jobs and Controversy

The debate over drones has become a top issue in national politics, one that hits especially close to home in Ranch Bernardo, home of Northrop Grumman, maker of the Global Hawk surveillance drone.

The U.S. military and other government agencies, including law enforcement, use drones to save money and keep humans out of harm’s way. Critics across the political spectrum are concerned about how the drones are used in combat overseas and surveillance at home, and the potential for unforeseen abuses in the future.

Northrop plans to move its entire drone program to RB, which could bring 300 jobs to the area, the Daily Beast reported. Existing programs in New York and Florida will transition to a new Unmanned Systems Center of Excellence based here. 

Anti-drone protestors gather weekly in Poway at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, maker of the Predator and other drones, and will conduct extra protests this week as part of the Anti-Drone Days of Action to be held across the world.

The local economy has a stake in the drone debate, with the industry generating as much as $2 billion in revenue a year in San Diego County, creating as much as 14,000 jobs, the Daily Beast reported.

While the drone business is booming, continued questions about how they are used will have an impact on the future of the industry.

This could have a very negative affect on jobs and commerce here,” Debra Rosen, CEO of the San Diego North Chamber of Commerce, told the Daily Beast. “We don’t get into the political part of it, but the UAV industry in San Diego County means jobs. Any time an industry is threatened, an entire community is potentially impacted, especially small business.”

Read the full report by Jamie Reno at the Daily Beast.