The U.S. CBP deploys drones in a variety of ways to accomplish its missions.
By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill
(U.S. Customs and Border Patrol deploys various types of drones to accomplish its mission of protecting the nation’s borders, enhancing economic prosperity, and protecting the American people. CBP’s pilots fly everything from small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) used to track smugglers crossing the border to military-grade MQ-9 Predator B drones typically dispatched to gather intelligence and conduct land and reconnaissance. do. water. DroneLife recently conducted an email interview with a CBP spokesperson to find out how the federal agency is expanding its use of UAS technology.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Drone Life: What types of missions is your drone used for?
CBP: CBP’s MQ-9s are typically deployed for domain awareness intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) on land or at sea. The land ISR mission aims to monitor illegal movement between ports of entry at the adjacent U.S. border. Maritime ISR missions typically involve detecting and monitoring vessel traffic in the maritime domain and working with partner nations to intercept vessels suspected of transporting illicit goods or people.
CBP’s mission encompasses many aspects of national security, including securing our borders as well as facilitating lawful trade and travel. Although the use cases for sUAS are extensive, their deployment is primarily about supporting personnel for successful law enforcement resolutions related to officer safety and privacy with the highest level of accuracy and efficiency.
All currently operationally deployed CBP UAS platforms have been inspected by the Department of Defense, are NDAA compliant, and meet DHS cybersecurity requirements and vulnerability assessments. Every make and model CBP selects is based on mission success, airspace safety, and financial responsibility.
Drone Life: How many drones do you have in your fleet?
CBP: CBP is a leading user of federal law enforcement drone technology in the continental United States (CONUS). Certain numbers are sensitive to law enforcement.
Drone Life: What special qualifications do pilots need?
CBP: CBP pilots require a valid pilot’s license, completion of CBP law enforcement training, and completion of AAMO aviation training.
For the U.S. Border Patrol, all small UAS pilots are agents or officers first. You must then complete online ground school, visual observer training, Part 107 certification, and complete a basic operator course for each specific sUAS you operate.
Drone Life: Are all the drones in your fleet Blue UAS compliant?
CBP: All of our UAS are Blue UAS compliant. CBP has obtained limited use waivers when necessary.
CBP evaluates many aspects of UAS, including the provenance of all components, secure communications capabilities, and any software vulnerabilities, to protect national security and the public’s privacy.
Drone Life: What features does your drone have? RGB camera? Infrared camera? Facial recognition?
CBP: CBP utilizes a variety of technological capabilities that improve the effectiveness of agents in the field. CBP’s mission and the diverse environments in which we operate require a wide range of sUAS.
Drone Life: Is CBP certified to operate BVLOS flights?
CBP: yes. CBP has reached an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration to operate UAS beyond visual line-of-sight.
We work closely with other federal partners and aviation stakeholders to ensure we have the authority and capacity to provide public safety and national security. All BVLOS permits granted by CBP are temporary and are premised on meeting additional standards to ensure that operations are conducted with utmost consideration for the safety of crewed aircraft and persons on the ground.
Drone Life: How does the use of drones help CBP achieve its mission to help secure America’s border areas?
The MQ-9 UAS is a significant force multiplier. Combined with state-of-the-art EO/IR cameras and radar, it has unparalleled flight endurance. The system is operated by highly trained and experienced CBP agents and U.S. Coast Guard agents to detect illegal movement approaching/moving across borders, monitor movement through harsh environments such as rough terrain and marine environments, and direct agents. You can do it. Law enforcement partners impacting bans.
Drone Life: Does CBP have the authority to block drones entering the United States from Canada or Mexico?
Yes, under the new Threat Prevention Act of 2018, CBP has the authority to intercept drones that pose a credible threat to designated target facilities and assets and agents and officers in the field.
CBP has mitigated drones that pose a credible threat near the U.S. border within U.S. national airspace.
Drone Life: Are there any plans to expand your drone program in the near future? If so, in what way?
CBP: CBP plans to grow both in terms of numbers deployed and capabilities related to safety as well as improving mission success. Safety is critical to our aviation program and we are committed to maintaining the highest standards.
We’re always looking for ways to grow to better protect our country. CBP’s SUAS vision is to “see further, patrol smarter, and make America safer with unmanned technology.” This industry and its associated capabilities are growing rapidly and providing CBP opportunities previously unavailable.
CBP monitors UAS technology updates for current and emerging technologies that can assist in carrying out law enforcement missions.
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Jim Magill is a Houston-based writer with nearly 25 years of experience covering technological and economic developments in the oil and gas industry. After retiring as a senior editor at S&P Global Platts in December 2019, Jim began writing about emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and drones, and how they contribute to our society. In addition to DroneLife, Jim is a contributor to Forbes.com and his work has appeared in the Houston Chronicle, U.S. News & World Report, and Unmanned Systems, a publication of the Association for Unmanned Vehicles. Systems International.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE, CEO of JobForDrones, a marketplace for professional drone services, and a keen observer of the emerging drone industry and the drone regulatory environment. Miriam has authored over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized industry figure. Miriam holds a degree from the University of Chicago and has over 20 years of experience in high-tech sales and emerging technology marketing.
If you would like to consult or write about the drone industry, please email Miriam.
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