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Countries across the continent are experimenting with this 21st century technology as a way to leapfrog decades of neglect of 20th century infrastructure.
Over the last two years, San Francisco-based startup Zipline launched a national UAV delivery program in East Africa; South Africa passed commercial drone legislation to train and license pilots; and Malawi even opened a Drone Test Corridor to African and its global partners.
In Rwanda, the country's government became one of the first adopters of performance-based regulations for all drones earlier this year. The country's progressive UAV programs drew special attention from the White House and two U.S. Secretaries of Transportation.
[...] After several test rounds, Zipline went live with the program in October, becoming the world's first national drone delivery program at scale.
"We've since completed over 6000 deliveries and logged 500,000 flight kilometers," Zipline co-founder Keenan Wyrobek told TechCrunch. "We're planning to go live in Tanzania soon and talking to some other African countries."
[...] In a non-delivery commercial use case, South Africa's Rocketmine has built out a UAV survey business in 5 countries. The company looks to book $2 million in revenue in 2018 for its "aerial data solutions" services in mining, agriculture, forestry, and civil engineering.
[...] The continent's test programs — and Rwanda's performance-based drone regulations in particular — could advance beyond visual line of sight UAV technology at a quicker pace. This could set the stage for faster development of automated drone fleets for remote internet access, commercial and medical delivery, and even give Africa a lead in testing flying autonomous taxis.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday September 25 2018, @02:52AM (5 children)
Look I get it. Communism is such a terrible thing, that as soon as anybody starts talking about it, we should start killing them.
Here's a list of the countries the US has invaded:
Philippines (Reneges on promise of Philippine independence in exchange for Filipino support during the Spanish-American War)
Fiji (Expedition)
China (Second Opium War)
China (Looting China in response to the Boxer Rebellion as part of the Eight-Nation Alliance)
Taiwan (Expedition into Taiwan)
Korea (Korean Expedition in response to "insults")
Panama, Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti, Dominica Republic, Honduras, Mexico (US shenanigans with their military)
Germany (World War 1)
Russia (Russian Civil War - Formation of Soviet Union)
Germany, Japan, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria (WW2)
Korea (Korean War)
Vietnam (Vietnam War)
Guatemala (CIA overthrows of their government and funds dictator's armies)
Iran (CIA overthrows elected Prime Minister)
Cuba (Bay of Pigs)
Brazil (CIA helps overthrow the government and funds opposition groups)
Chile (CIA funds opposition then overthrows the government)
Grenada (Overthrow their government)
Nicaragua (Helps install a military junta)
Libya
Panama (Attempt to capture Gen. Manuel Noriega)
Honduras (Helps install a military junta)
Colombia (Funds and trains death squads)
Iraq (Desert Storm)
Iraq (Retaliation for alleged assassination plot)
Somalia
Sudan, Afghanistan (Retaliation for terrorist attacks in embassies)
Afghanistan (Response to 9/11)
Iraq
Shortened to just the 20th century for your convenience.
Some of them can no doubt be justified ( Germany in the 1940's comes to mind) but that list leaves out the countries the CIA has destabilised and governments overthrown because of the US fear of Socialism.
When the Chileans voted for a Socialist government in 1970, it was better that the CIA overthrew them and murdered the president?
But no, let's just pretend Communism is worse shall we?
(Score: 0, Troll) by khallow on Tuesday September 25 2018, @03:51AM (4 children)
And? I recall we were comparing two countries, not merely doing the two minute hate. Where's the list of countries Russia has invaded in the 20th century? It's going to be a long list too.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday September 25 2018, @08:06PM (3 children)
You obviously don't like my comparison, and keep trying to shift the goalposts.
The only point you are getting across is that you have no understanding of 20th century history, and have absorbed the US anti-communist propaganda very well.
Congratulations.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday September 25 2018, @10:28PM (2 children)
No goalpost moving has occurred. I'm just pointing out that it's highly disingenuous to only speak of US misdeeds in a purported comparison with Russia. It's likely claiming someone is worse than Hitler because they murdered another person. Yes, they committed a serious evil, but one is completely ignoring a huge elephant in the tent.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday September 25 2018, @10:44PM (1 child)
The only point you are getting across is that you have no understanding of 20th century history, and have absorbed the US anti-communist propaganda very well.
Congratulations.
(Score: 0, Troll) by khallow on Wednesday September 26 2018, @12:18AM
Disagreement != lack of understanding. If you had read the thread, you would have read about why I disagree in the first place.