chattr +a -V

Until now, the three US Air Force Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle squadrons have operated out of Nevada, at Nellis AFB and Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field. The USAF will add 12 squadons, including Air National Guard units in Arizona, Texas in 2006 and 2007, and New York State in 2009 ( Predator Fleet to Expand and San Diego company makes spy plane).

The propeller-driven Predator has a 49 foot wingspan which at first required a line-of-sight radio link for the operator, but which now are being piloted remotely in Iraq from Nellis, in eight hour, six days per week shifts. Predators can remain aloft for up to 24 hours. The USAF plans to have ANG and Air Force Reserve operate all Predators. First generation Predators were retrofitted with two Hellfire (helicopter launched fire and forget) antiarmor air-to-ground missiles; the Predator B can carry up to 16.

The Air Force acknowledges that the Arizona, Texas and New York State units could 'be deployed domestically for homeland security missions' (quoting USAF spokeswoman Capt. Shelley Lai, from a Los Angeles Times article no longer on line, but cited in Big Boost for Predator Fleet (military.com) and Big Boost for Predator Fleet (defensetech.org)).

The Predator, with a 49-foot wingspan, is among the remotely piloted aircraft sending data from Iraq and Afghanistan back to crews in Nevada.