An inspector general’s report has determined the $240 million unmanned aircraft program run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection has “not adequately planned resources needed to support its current unmanned aircraft inventory. “
The report from the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general found:
- Inadequate ground resources in place to support the craft.
- The seven craft have only flown 37% of the projected number of hours — and despite this, two new $18 million aircraft were ordered.
- A multi-million-dollar maintenance funding shortfall that could lead to curtailed missions.
- There is no formal process in place for other agency “stakeholders,” such as the FBI and Department of Defense, to request missions on their behalf and does not have agreements on being reimbursed for the costs of those missions.
The report recommends that an operating plan be developed to cover maintenance, operations and equipment; aircraft purchases should stop until that happens; a system be developed for stakeholders request and coordinations, along with a reimbursement system.
The agency has nine unmanned craft based across the country. The program “provides command, control, communication, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capability to complement crewed aircraft and watercraft, and ground interdiction agents,” according to the report.
One of the unmanned aircraft used by the border patrol. SOURCE: Inspector general’s report.