AS MORE TROOPS HEAD TO THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER, DRONES DESIGNED FOR WAR COULD BE GOING TOO

Newsweek ^ | 8/9/19 | JAMES LAPORTA

[BeauBo]

A month before President Donald Trump withdrew Patrick M. Shanahan's nomination to be installed as the permanent defense secretary, the former Boeing executive approved a Homeland Security request that would seemingly pave the way for more U.S. military drones to hover above the skies of the southwest border...

troops and military hardware are expected to arrive at the border around August 15 to backfill the gap created six months ago (when some Democrat Governors withdrew their National Guard personnel), according to a Pentagon spokesman. On Friday, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman also confirmed to Newsweek that the agency is expecting to receive the additional aerial support this month...

U.S. Customs and Border Protection asked the Pentagon for manned and unmanned aircraft capable of tracking moving targets and streaming live full-motion video to operating centers with electro-optical and infrared sensors — technology that allows for tracking individuals at night and via body heat...

neither the Pentagon nor U.S. Customs and Border Protection would confirm to Newsweek if unmanned drones and surveillance planes would be among the aircraft and personnel heading to the border next week or in the coming months.

[BeauBo]

"Another document shows that Pentagon officials are considering positioning both manned and unmanned aircraft along the southwest border based on the availability of the aircraft type and approved plans.

Two Black Hawk helicopters and two U.S. Navy P-3 Orions, an aircraft designed to track enemy submarines and perform maritime surveillance, would be located near California.

Two MQ-1 Predator drones and two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters would be located at Fort Huachuca, a U.S. Army base located roughly 15 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. The base is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center, the primary training facility the Army uses to train its intelligence personnel.

A pair of MQ-1 Predator drones will also be stationed at the U.S. Army base at Fort Bliss, located between New Mexico and Texas."

"Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and two MC-12s, a manned aircraft that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to individuals on the ground, will be assigned to Laughline Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas. The aircraft is apart of the U.S. Air Force's irregular warfare mission and designed for counter-insurgency operations against militant groups such as ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The aircraft has also participated in foreign internal defense and building partnership capacity, according to the U.S. Air Force.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection have operated their own Predator B drones, an offshoot of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper drone since fiscal year 2006; however, the MQ-1 Predators seemingly tapped to deploy to the southwest border would be provided by the U.S. Army."

[gaijin]

After shots ring out and we have bodies:

I will believe it’s more than just for show.

[BenLurkin]

We’re dealing with an invasion so, yeah.

[dfwgator]

Let the bodies hit the floor.

[BeauBo]

Just like the President’s Executive Order (13767) to build a wall and secure the border, just five days after taking office, his formal tasking of the Military to support that will systematically work through the planning and budgeting processes of the bureaucracy for years, bearing fruit in many ways.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Just “leak it” that a military convey is headed for “the border” with land mines. Once that gets translated to Spanish and the mainstream media gets done adjusting it, our problems will be over.

[dp0622]

Whose bodies would they be and why?

Storming the border guards, yes, shoot.

Otherwise I’m not sure where your bodies would come from.

[PGalt]

Good news. Thanks for posting.

[Cobra64]

With mini-guns.

[BeauBo]

US NORTHCOM, who has the mission to support CBP in securing the Southern Border, also operate NORAD (NORth American Aerospace Defense, watching for incoming missiles).

They are world class good at fusing a bunch of sensors into a constant operational picture of an entire large mission area.

I think that kind of real time, complete visibility of the border (which can be shared into Border Patrol command posts), is likely to develop from their support tasking. It might be available already, or it might take years to develop, but it will be a great thing.

Maybe they will bring satellite capabilities to the fight as well.

[ClearBlueSky]

So, if two guys break into your home shooting its ok to blast them. But 500 guys storming thru your doors and windows smiling should be welcomed? I would line the border with tanks,mines and machine guns. NO invaders would get thru. Maybe a wall of bodies will stop this.

[rigelkentaurus]

I don’t see the point anymore of troops on the border. Seems they are doing little to nothing. Maybe hauling around illegals and feeding them. The border is porous and we don’t do anything to people who violate our border, except welcome them: feed them, educate them, give them money, free medical care.

[Menehune56]

Something like THIS would be a deterrent to border hopping.

[Da Coyote]

Considering the fact that this IS war, what’s the problem, NewsWEAK?

[NorthMountain]

"Drones designed for war"??

Seems appropriate. Invasion is a form of war.

[Innovative]

Sounds reasonable. Drones are able to view large areas and warn our soldiers and border guards.

[BeauBo]

“Seems they (Military deployed to the border) are doing little to nothing. Maybe hauling around illegals and feeding them.”

They perform several functions, including logistics surge support, as you point out (hauling around illegals and feeding them).

There are also Combat Engineer units, who are steadily hardening or Ports of Entry against Caravan mob rush tactics, and emplacing hundreds of miles of concertina. Concertina mounted on the bollard barriers, makes them much more resistant to ladder and rope attacks.

As the article highlights, the military also supports with direct surveillance - sometimes operating Border Patrol equipment, or pulling shifts watching the screens at Border Patrol Command Posts, and sometimes by bringing and operating Military unique surveillance equipment.

They have an effort called Badges to the Border (B2B), where they seek any way to free up badged Law Enforcement personnel with arrest powers from other duties, for direct law enforcement.

[BeauBo]

“Drones are able to view large areas and warn our soldiers and border guards.”

They can also track intruders until they are intercepted, and monitor the engagement. Responders will not be alone in the wilderness, if they need medical evacuation or backup.

[seowulf]

Don’t forget the Hellfire missiles.

[SuperLuminal]

More like: "But 500 guys storming thru your doors and windows smiling while giving you the finger should be welcomed?"

IMHO, the minimum criterion for "shooting" is: "stepping a single foot on American soil while invading"...