HOUSTON -- A dozen U.S. Predator aircraft will be based at Houston's Ellington Field for use in homeland security and border patrols.
Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay made the announcement in Houston Wednesday.
Predators are unmanned aircraft that can carry missiles and can stay airborne for 24 hours. They can be operated by ground control or satellite. They can be used to locate targets and either fire their own Hellfire missiles or be followed up by other aircraft.
Perry said the 12 Predators at Ellington would be used to patrol such assets as the Southeast Texas ports and petrochemical complex and NASA's Johnson Space Center. Perry said they'll also be used to patrol the border with Mexico.
DeLay, a Republican congressman from Sugar Land, said the aircraft would used to monitor illegal immigration.
Perry said they'd also be used as a bargaining chip with the independent federal base-closing commission to keep the 147th Fighter Wing at Ellington.
LinkI live less than I mile away, I'll be seeing them takeing off and landing, flying around