Wednesday, October 13, 2010

[IWS] CRS: Homeland Security: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Border Surveillance [8 July 2010]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor----------------------
Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

 

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

 

Homeland Security: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Border Surveillance

Chad C. Haddal, Specialist in Immigration Policy

Jeremiah Gertler, Specialist in Military Aviation

July 8, 2010

http://opencrs.com/document/RS21698/2010-07-08/download/1013/

[full-text, 10 pages]

 

Summary

Congress has expressed a great deal of interest in using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to

surveil the United States’ international land border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

utilizes advanced technology to augment its USBP agents’ ability to patrol the border, including a

fleet of six UAVs. This report examines the strengths and limitations of deploying UAVs along

the borders and related issues for Congress.

 

UAVs come with several costs and benefits. One potential benefit of UAVs is that they could fill a

gap in current border surveillance by improving coverage along remote sections of the U.S.

borders. Moreover, the range of UAVs is a significant asset when compared to border agents on

patrol or stationary surveillance equipment. Yet, despite potential benefits of using UAVs for

homeland security, various problems encountered in the past may hinder UAV implementation on

the border. There are concerns regarding the high accident rates of UAVs, which have historically

been multiple times higher than that of manned aircraft. Inclement weather conditions can also

impinge on a UAV’s surveillance capability. Also, according to the CBP Inspector General, the

costs of operating a UAV are more than double the costs of operating a manned aircraft.

 

Recent attention has focused on the expanding area of operations for CBP-operated UAVs. On

June 23, 2010, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted a certificate of authorization

requested by CBP, clearing the UAV flights along the Texas border and Gulf region. Other

requests have reportedly been delayed due to safety concerns, some of which stem from previous

incidents. Despite safety concerns, some policymakers continue to call for the increased domestic

use of UAVs. The Supplemental Appropriations Bill of FY2010 (H.R. 4899) would include $32

million for the acquisition of two additional UAVs by CBP.

 

This report will be updated as events warrant.

 

Contents

Background ...............................................................................................................................1

Congressional Mandates for the Use of UAVs .............................................................................2

Benefits and Limitations of UAVs ...............................................................................................3

Benefits ...............................................................................................................................3

Limitations...........................................................................................................................4

Other Concerns .....................................................................................................................5

Issues for Congress .....................................................................................................................5

Costs vs. Benefits..................................................................................................................5

UAV Effectiveness ................................................................................................................6

Lack of Information ..............................................................................................................6

Coordination with USBP Agents ...........................................................................................6

Safety Concerns ....................................................................................................................6

Implementation Schedule ......................................................................................................7

Contacts

Author Contact Information ........................................................................................................7



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This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
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