Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap 2005-2030 - Federation of ...

UAS ROADMAP 2005
APPENDIX I: HOMELAND SECURITY
OVERVIEW
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and DoD’s Northern Command (NORTHCOM) share
responsibility for defending the United States against terrorist attacks. In addition, DHS has a number of
law enforcement functions not shared with NORTHCOM. DHS identified unmanned aircraft as a highinterest
enabler for its homeland security and law enforcement functions within months of its formation in
November 2002. In May 2003, the Secretary of Homeland Security directed a demonstration for
evaluating UA utility in border surveillance be conducted, resulting in Operation Safeguard that fall.
DHS also established an internal UA Working Group under its Border and Transportation Security (BTS)
Directorate’s Office of Science and Technology in 2003 to explore roles and define requirements that UA
could potentially fulfill throughout DHS. Its first study, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Applications to
Homeland Security Missions (March 2004), addressed UA’s potential applicability to border security,
Coast Guard missions, critical infrastructure security, and monitoring transportation of hazardous
materials.
Subsequently, the Working Group examined the cost effectiveness of various size UA compared to that of
manned aircraft and ground sensor networks in selected DHS environments. In performing this analysis,
45 functional capabilities that DHS/BTS is required to perform were examined in the nine environments
in which DHS operates; UA were assessed to be potential contributors in ten of the 45 capabilities (see
Table I-1).
TABLE I-1. DHS/BTS CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO UA.
Functional Area Functional Capability for UA
Surveillance and Monitoring Visual Monitoring
Non-Visual Monitoring
Suspect/Item Geolocation
Communications Interception
Communications and Information Mgmt Tactical Situational Awareness
Apprehension/Detection/Seizure/Removal Pursuit management and Prevention
Targeting and Intelligence Intelligence Support to Command
Deterrence Visible Security Systems
Specialized Enforcement Operations
Officer Safety Use of Safety and Emergency Equipment
In addition to Operation Safeguard, DHS organizations have conducted a number of other demonstrations
using UA in different roles and environments (see Table I-2). These demonstrations have built on
previous experiences with UA learned by DHS’ legacy organizations over the past decade (see Figure I-
1). Collectively, these demonstrations have served to educate DHS on the strengths and limitations of
UA and support its decision to focus efforts on a Homeland Security UAV (HSUAV), a medium/high
altitude endurance UA capable of supporting multiple DHS organizations across a variety of applications
and environments. Although the concept for its operation is still being developed, HSUAV will likely be
embedded in one of the aviation-using elements of DHS, who will assume responsibility for operating
and maintaining it. The primary aviation-using organizations within DHS are the Coast Guard, Customs
and Border Protection (CBP), and Counter Narcotics Office, who together operate a mixed fleet of some
170 fixed-wing aircraft and 240 helicopters. The air assets of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) were combined under CBP in November 2004.
APPENDIX I – HOMELAND SECURITY
Page I-1