. Solar Energy News .




.
TERROR WARS
CBP Unmanned Aircraft Reach 10,000-Hour Milestone
by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) Jun 07, 2011

File image.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that its Office of Air and Marine's Unmanned Aircraft System program has achieved a historic milestone, exceeding 10,000 flight hours.

Unveiled in 2005, the highly capable and proven Predator B UAS supports CBP's primary mission of securing the border and preventing acts of terrorism by helping to identify and intercept potential terrorist and illegal cross-border activity. Manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., the aircraft's operational capabilities, payload capacity and mission flexibility greatly enhances the agency's enforcement and emergency and disaster response efforts.

The remotely piloted aircraft provide aerial surveillance support for up to 20 hours for personnel on the ground by investigating sensor activity in remote areas to distinguish between real or perceived threats, allowing CBP ground forces to best allocate their resources and efforts, and providing increased visibility even at night or in low light.

CBP also deploys the UAS in support of federal and state directed disaster relief. The Predator B's capability to provide high-quality, real-time data assessing critical infrastructure before and after catastrophic events makes it an ideal aircraft to support emergency preparations and recovery efforts.

The CBP UAS provided emergency support for the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season and the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Red River floods in the Midwest with excellent results. During the 2011 Red River Flood response, CBP flew and collected 1,778 nautical miles of Synthetic Aperture Radar in 22 days, heralding the single most extensive SAR collection efforts ever achieved. The CBP UAS was also operated in the Gulf of Mexico to assist with oil search efforts during the Deepwater Horizon incident.

Today, CBP operates three Predator B aircraft from Libby Army Airfield in Sierra Vista, Ariz., and two from Grand Forks Air Base in North Dakota. OAM also operates a Predator B maritime variant, the Guardian, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, in Florida and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas.

In March 2008, CBP and the U.S. Coast Guard successfully conducted a demonstration of a maritime variant of the Predator B from Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The event was the culmination of more than a year's work to deploy and demonstrate the integration of a variant of the Predator B within CBP and Coast Guard maritime operations.

In November 2008, CBP and the Coast Guard formed a UAS joint program office to identify and address common maritime UAS requirements, including sensors, command and control, data exploitation, logistics training and basing.

CBP currently has two additional Predator B aircraft on order with scheduled delivery dates in early fiscal year 2012. These aircraft will be the new "Dash 7" configuration that can be equipped with either land or maritime radar systems in less than eight hours.

CBP Unmanned Aircraft System highlights:

+ UAS Predator operations have resulted in the apprehension of 4,865 undocumented aliens and 238 smugglers; the seizure of 33,773 pounds of contraband; and 4,285 sensor activations.

+ OAM has trained over 100 UAS aircrew since program inception.

+ Fort Drum, New York, OAM conducted simultaneous UAS law enforcement support operations via satellite, and demonstrated long-endurance UAS operations executed by several OAM UAS command sites.

+ In July 2009, OAM conducted the first-ever UAS landing at a commercial airport for CBP's participation in Oshkosh. This was also the first time a UAS was on display at a non-military event.

+ To date, CBP has more than ten mission Certificates of Authorization in place, including two that account for approximately 1,200 miles along the U.S.-Mexico border and another that stretches 950 miles along the northern border from Spokane, Wash., to the vicinity of Lake-of-the-Woods, Minn.




Related Links
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
The Long War - Doctrine and Application

.
Get Our Free Newsletters Via Email
...
Buy Advertising Editorial Enquiries






. Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle



TERROR WARS
Raytheon Receives Order to Provide Encrypted ID Technology
Aberdeen Proving Ground MD (SPX) May 31, 2011
Raytheon has received a $20.7 million award to deliver more than 1,900 KIV-77 Mode 4 / 5 cryptographic units that provide secure communications for combat systems force identification. "Raytheon's KIV-77 represents the next generation in secured combat identification for U.S. and coalition forces," said Brian McKeon, vice president, Raytheon Network Centric Systems' Integrated Communicatio ... read more


TERROR WARS
No significant difference in car fuel consumption between E10 and E5 petrol grades

Algae-Based Biofuels Represent a Trillion Dollar Potential Market Opportunity

Joint Venture Secures Financing for Renewable Diesel Facility

Endicott Biofuels and Holly Partner on Biorefinery

TERROR WARS
Industry Helps Engineering Students Reanimate Robotic Mine Vehicles

The hand as a joystick

Guide vests robotic navigation aids for the visually impaired

Controlling robotic arms is child's play

TERROR WARS
China wind energy firms back subsidy move: report

US claims victory in China wind energy spat

Mortenson Builds Sixth Wind Project in Golden State

GL Garrad Hassan releases update of WindFarmer 4.2

TERROR WARS
General Motor's China sales fall for second month

Toyota eyes Japan output at 90% of pre-quake level

Japan to finance quake-hit car parts makers

New fuel efficiency labels for cars coming

TERROR WARS
US Army Base Fort George G. Meade Selects Viridity Energy

Novel geothermal technology packs a one-two punch against climate change

Caltech researchers find compaction bands in sandstone are permeable

S. America gas bonanza waiting to happen

TERROR WARS
Singapore researchers invent broadband graphene polarizer

Iowa State physicists explain the long, useful lifetime of carbon-14

New form of girl's best friend is lighter than ever

2 graphene layers may be better than 1

TERROR WARS
Capstone Turbine Receives Order for Four C1000s From BPC Engineering

Carbon release to atmosphere 10 times faster than in the past

Australia says economy stronger with carbon tax

Most Australians against carbon tax: poll

TERROR WARS
Higher density means world forests are capturing more carbon

Managing forests requires a bird's-eye view

Greenpeace says Barbie is forest vandal

50 percent increase in sustainably managed tropical forests


Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily Express :: SpaceWar Express :: TerraDaily Express :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News
.

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2011 - Space Media Network. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement