Border Patrol adding drones

Arizona Daily Star ^ | 5/10/04 | Ignacio Ibarra

[SandRat]

When the U.S. Border Patrol launches its two new remote-controlled, camera-equipped aerial vehicles later this month to help in the search for illegal border crossers, it won't be the first border watch group to do so in the state.

American Border Patrol, a private group based in Cochise County, recently marked a year of unmanned aerial vehicle patrols ....

[SandRat]

Photos at the excerpt site

[SandRat]

Border UAVs

[CasearianDaoist]

That is a heck pof a way to speak about civil servants.

[Paul Atreides]

I thought it meant DU.commies.

[xrp]

Like Killer Bee Drones?

[last_one_standing]

If you shoot a few trying to cross over, you won't need a UAV for long. Bullets are cheaper than UAV's.

[SandRat]

and the ABPs UAVs are cheaper and better than the USBPs as well as available now.

[JackelopeBreeder]

The thing to remember is that the video broadcast over the web is a compressed version of what the UAV operator sees on his full-sized monitor. Infrared video has come a long ways in the last couple of years.

That bird is definitely making the coyotes nervous. It's quiet and completely invisible at night with its beacons turned off.

[hoot2]

"Border Patrol adding drones "

phew...thought you meant kennedys n kerrys....

[Drammach]

Why do these things cost so much?... $30,000.00 a copy?

Sounds to me like the government is getting "ripped" for this stuff..
Am I wrong??

[SandRat]

The government is the one that adds the latest bells, whistles, and chromium plating in to the specifications instead of like the boys from ABP who follow the KISS principle for doing it.

[HiJinx]

Well, what you're quoting is the cost of the Border Hawk, American Border Patrol's UAV. As the article says, the United States Border Patrol's birds cost a few dollars more per copy:

But at $2 million per copy, the Border Patrol might not get enough of the drones to have a significant impact in the 300 miles of border the agency's Tucson sector covers.

[JackelopeBreeder]

The Border Hawk aircraft itself isn't that expensive. But then you add the daylight video or night infrared cameras, the flight and payload control datalinks, GPS, etc. Not bad for a bird developed and used by a bunch of civilian volunteers totally outside of government control.

Still beats what Uncle Sucker pays for the bigger UAVs -- about $2 mil for a cheap one. On the other hand, the big ones can carry larger payloads and stay in the air for hours.

The virtue of the Border Hawks is that they are simple to maintain, easy to transport, and quick to launch.

[HiJinx]

[JackelopeBreeder]

KISS -- right on the money. Keep the airframe light so it can carry more payload. Keep the payload light so it can carry more fuel and stay on station longer.

[B4Ranch]

>>The virtue of the Border Hawks is that they are simple to maintain, easy to transport, and quick to launch.<<


The virtue of the Border Hawks is that they are not under government agency control And the video is not cut for press releases.

[azhenfud]

One question. Can we arm them?

[azhenfud]

How much is that pre-owned tethered balloon in the window, sir?

[Carry_Okie]

ABP has had UAVs for how long?

With Predator training at Fort Huachuca?

Man.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Predator, Hunter, and Shadow 200 are all trained at Ft. Huachuca. It seems to be considered politically incorrect to have them look at the border, though.

The border would be the perfect live environment training exercise. No need for simulations when you have literally thousands of real targets out skulking around.

[HiJinx]

Good one...I'm chuckling.

I believe the cost to replace it after a dust devil destroyed it was in the neighborhood of $16 Million. But I could be wrong. It's been a long time...

[SAMWolf]

Will they be armed with Hellfire missiles?

[HiJinx]

I wish...but I doubt it.

Too many 'innocents' in the line of fire. And after Abu Ghraib, there's no way the administration is going to take that chance.

[Travis McGee]

BTTT

[Pelham]

Killer Bee Drones and Land Sharks. What do you bet at least half of FR has no idea who that is?

[SandRat]

The ABP prefers to keep operations well inside the law and only use them for observation and reporting to proper authorities.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Correct. We stay legal -- we just point the folks with the badges at a target.

The infrared can distinguish between two-legged and four-legged targets, but it has a tough time telling male adults from cute young women and children. The only ones I might be interested in harming are smugglers, though I do have immense fun baiting the corrupt local Mexican military.

Besides, If we start blowing up the clientele, we would miss the priceless facial expressions when they realize they've been tagged by a bunch of gringo civilians. I would also miss my chances to deliver my copyrighted lecture on "The Myth of Mexican Machismo". After all, Paco, if you won't stand up for your rights and the welfare of your own country, why would I want your wussified fanny in my country?

(Also, a single Hellfire outweighs a Border Hawk several times over. After all, it is designed to turn a tank into an acre or so of scattered scrap metal.)

[lainde]

bttt