▁the ▁battle field . ▁ ▁Digital ▁imag ing ▁technology , ▁mini atur ized ▁computers , ▁and ▁numerous ▁other ▁techn ological ▁adv ances ▁over ▁the ▁past ▁de cade ▁have ▁contributed ▁to ▁rapid ▁adv ances ▁in ▁aer ial ▁surve ill ance ▁hardware ▁such ▁as ▁micro - a er ial ▁vehicles , ▁forward - looking ▁inf ra red , ▁and ▁high - resol ution ▁imag ery ▁capable ▁of ▁ident ifying ▁objects ▁at ▁extremely ▁long ▁distances . ▁For ▁instance , ▁the ▁M Q - 9 ▁Re aper , ▁a ▁U . S . ▁dr one ▁plane ▁used ▁for ▁domestic ▁operations ▁by ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Hom eland ▁Security , ▁car ries ▁cam eras ▁that ▁are ▁capable ▁of ▁ident ifying ▁an ▁object ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁a ▁milk ▁cart on ▁from ▁alt itudes ▁of ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁feet , ▁and ▁has ▁forward - looking ▁inf ra red ▁devices ▁that ▁can ▁detect ▁the ▁heat ▁from ▁a ▁human ▁body ▁at ▁distances ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ 6 0 ▁kilom eters . ▁In ▁an ▁earlier ▁instance ▁of ▁commercial ▁aer ial ▁surve ill ance , ▁the ▁Kill ington ▁Mountain ▁ski ▁resort ▁h ired ▁' ey e ▁in ▁the ▁sky ' ▁aer ial ▁phot ography ▁of ▁its ▁compet itors ' ▁par king ▁lots ▁to ▁judge ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁its ▁market ing ▁initi atives ▁as ▁it ▁developed ▁starting ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁Hom eland ▁Security ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁testing ▁U AV s ▁to ▁pat rol ▁the ▁sk ies ▁over ▁the