Any part of the system, stand alone is not all that effective until integrated. A piece of a machine. An on station loiter time of 20 hours, with the flexibility to shift targets when required has it's attractiveness, and none of the naysayers are saying this isn't true. As the technology improves, and the demand for these systems goes up, the costs per operating unit will come down. Part of the problem is in not having enough of them. A fixed sensor array can be defeated much easier than a mobile platform that can be re-directed at discretion.
But, it seems like your general take is that if "The Government" looks at anything it is doing something wrong unless it has somebody's extra, specific permission, or is a Democrat led government. Of what use is a "warrant" when related to what amounts to perimeter surveillance? Honest question. Who do you get it against?