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WASHINGTON (AP) - Pilotless planes could be the "next great step forward" in aviation, or a new safety hazard in already crowded skies, a House panel was told Wednesday.
Since 1997, unmanned aircraft have been used in U.S. airspace primarily by the military. But now the government wants to fly more of them to patrol the nation's borders, catch criminals, monitor the environment and assist in disaster relief.
Some companies think pilotless planes have a vast commercial potential for uses that range from crop dusting to weather prediction.
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