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

UAS ROADMAP 2005
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION
The CBP has been gaining experience with UA since the 1990s through cooperative use of Navy and
Marine Corps Pioneers, and Army Hunters, during their units’ deployments in support of JTF-6. These 2week-long
deployments have occurred one or more times annually to provide added night surveillance
capability along the U.S. southern and northern borders. CBP officers have been integrated into these
operations, with a CBP officer sitting in the UA GCS during missions and directing agents to activities
found by the UA’s sensors. In April 1999, the then-USBP sponsored an evaluation of four types of UA
(fixed-wing, helicopter, hand-launched, and powered parafoil) near Laredo, Texas. The results of the 36
sorties flown convinced the USBP that small UA did not fully meet their needs, although cooperation
with the Pioneer deployments continued. CBP use of a medium altitude endurance UA (Hermes 450)
during the 2004 Arizona Border Control Initiative (ABCI) proved more successful and led to follow-on
use of a similar UA (Hunter) to patrol the southern border at night.
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT
The Air and Marine Operations (AMO) branch of ICE sponsored Operation Safeguard in 2003 in
response to the Secretary of Homeland Security’s May 2003 direction to evaluate UA for DHS
applications. During the 14 days of Safeguard, an Air Force MQ-9 Predator B flew 15 missions from
Gila Bend, AZ, contributing to the capture of 22 illegal aliens, 3 vehicles, and 2300 pounds of marijuana.
This provided DHS with its initial experience with a medium altitude (17,000 feet) endurance UA, and
Predator B proved to be a complementary adjunct to AMO’s helicopters in detecting and apprehending
criminals along the southern border.
APPENDIX I – HOMELAND SECURITY
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