Unmanned Aerial Vehicle The latest drone news
KOTA KINABALU: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone unit will be set up in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone) to strengthen responses to intrusion or other criminal activities in the area.
Bukit Aman director for Internal Security and Public Order Comm Datuk Seri Hazani Ghazali said the unit, which will use smaller short-range drones that take off and land vertically, will be based in the east coast Lahad Datu district.
Drones will be dispatched on a regular basis to help security forces respond more quickly to any intrusion, he said.
He added that he had discussed the placement of the drone unit with Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) director Deputy Comm Victor Sanjos.
“I decided to station the team in Lahad Datu (the Esscom headquarters),” he told reporters after attending the Esscom media night here on Thursday.
Comm Hazani said marine patrol boats could carry the drones to specific locations in the event of any situation or emergency, adding that the exercise would be coordinated by the multi-agency Esscom team on the ground.
In his speech at the media night, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said it was time for Esscom to enhance its use of UAVs to maintain security at the Esszone.
He said the adoption of newer technologies such as UAVs would boost surveillance and monitoring of the huge coastal area.
