U.S. Department of Defense has no plans to use drones to fight coronavirus

A few weeks ago we learned that drones are playing a crucial role in fighting the coronavirus outbreak. For instance, we recently saw the Spanish police using drones to urge people to stay home. But even earlier we saw drones being used in China to quickly spray large areas with disinfectants. Today we’ve learned that the U.S. Department of Defense has no plans to use drones to fight the coronavirus.

U.S. Department of Defense has no plans to use drones to fight coronavirus

Even DJI pointed out how their large agricultural drone the DJI Agras T16 can be used to fight the Coronavirus by spraying disinfectants and that its “spraying efficiency can be 50 times faster than traditional methods.”

However, according to Military.com, the Defense Department is saying “no, thanks” to the use of drones to help fight the Coronavirus. The news outlet states that:

“But as cases of the novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19, continue to rise in the U.S., Defense Department officials said they have no plans to turn drones into disinfecting machines, despite propositions from companies presenting the method as simple and effective.”

And that:

“The National Guard does not have this capability and is not pursuing it with any other agencies,” said Army Maj. Rob Perino, spokesman for the National Guard Bureau.

Military.com was informed by Public affairs officials at U.S. Special Operations Command and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that they do not have disinfecting drones and are not seeking to create the capability.

The United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases had not yet responded to the news outlet when the article was published.

What do you think about using drones to fight coronavirus? Let us know in the comments below.

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