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DHS Watchdog Says Border Patrol's Drones Are Expensive, Useless.

posted by janrinok on Friday January 09 2015, @07:38PM   Printer-friendly
from the but,-but,-they're-sexy dept.

AnonTechie writes:

The CBP's (Customs and Border Patrol) drone squadron has been a tightly-held secret. Documents have been pried loose by FOIA lawsuits, but it's pretty clear the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) and the CBP would rather not discuss its flying surveillance technology. Not that the CBP drones are strictly for patrolling our nation's borders. They've been spotted far inland, being used by law enforcement agencies taking advantage of the CBP's drone lending library.

Finally, more details on the CBP's drones have made their way into the public domain, thanks to an Office of the Inspector General report. [https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1391066/oig-15-17-dec14.pdf (pdf link)] The information contained in this document points to two seeming contradictions, albeit the sort of contradictions often found in government agencies that run long on Congressional support but short on effective oversight.

They're expensive: "We estimate that, in fiscal year 2013, it cost at least $62.5 million to operate the program, or about $12,255 per hour."

And they're worthless: Given the cost of the Unmanned Aircraft System program and its unproven effectiveness, CBP should reconsider its plan to expand the program. The $443 million that CBP plans to spend on program expansion could be put to better use by investing in alternatives, such as manned aircraft and ground surveillance assets.

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150106/18214929616/dhs-watchdog-says-border-patrols-drones-are-expensive-useless.shtml

 
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  • (Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday January 10 2015, @01:16AM

    by frojack (1554) on Saturday January 10 2015, @01:16AM (#133338) Journal

    On the other hand, a hard point on a wing probably doesn't cost anything more, and it might actually cost more to order one without the hardpoints, because that would require a design change.

    Sort of like the tiedowns on the side of a pick-up truck. If they come stock, the dealer isn't going to give you a discount for having them taken off.

    I bet if DHS is already ordering these for the Air Force, its probably a mountain of paperwork to get a special order version. You'd probably be the better judge of that.

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  • (Score: 2) by JeanCroix on Saturday January 10 2015, @01:36AM

    by JeanCroix (573) on Saturday January 10 2015, @01:36AM (#133339)
    Going with the truck analogy - DHS had no need of a cargo capacity at all, but instead of buying a pickup truck (MQ-1), they ordered a dump truck (MQ-9). Again, they got oversold. Good for GA-ASI, bad for the taxpayers.