Firms to showcase unmanned planes for Border Patrol

U.S. defense firms are hoping by late September to demonstrate surveillance aircraft without pilots to a homeland security agency that is considering buying drones to patrol U.S. borders.

An industry official told National Journal's Technology Daily that within the last two weeks, "plenty of vendors" have responded to a request last month by the Customs and Border Protection Bureau for information on such aircraft, known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), for a demonstration program. One manufacturer said the bureau informed suppliers that it wants to see demonstrations within the next month.

The agency's notice said it intends to award a contract to a manufacturer that can meet all or most of the outlined requirements. The bureau "is exploring the use of [UAVs] to patrol the U.S. borders," an agency spokeswoman said on Monday. "No decision has been made at this time if UAVs will be used permanently."

The good news for the bureau is that "there are at least two if not five suppliers that can meet these requirements," the industry official said. But he acknowledged that the bureau has one critical obstacle to overcome: regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The FAA has yet to establish standards for flying UAVs in airspace under its control, although operators can get certificates for limited UAV operations. "I think the challenge for the UAV manufacturers and operators is to develop vehicles that meet FAA safety requirements if they want to fly in crowded airspace," FAA spokesman William Shumann said.

Another FAA official, Les Dorr, said his agency questions whether drones can operate without crashing or colliding with other aircraft. Because UAVs are flown remotely, FAA wants assurance that computer hackers could not access software and hijack the planes, he added.

The bureau explicitly requested UAVS equipped with "collision-avoidance technology." "The full potential of UAV systems cannot be realized until they demonstrate the ability to operate safely and routinely within the existing U.S. air-traffic system," the agency said in its notice.

FAA and industry officials stressed the importance of meeting the FAA rule that requires piloted aircraft to "see and avoid" other aircraft in flight. But Daryl Davidson, executive director of the Association for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems, said UAVs have "tech and avoid" capabilities such as lasers and sensors that may prove more reliable than the naked eye.

In its notice to manufacturers, the bureau requested an array of surveillance technology. It asked for "thermal technology to distinguish between hidden human forms and warm desert backgrounds," plus "optical sensors to survey specific traffic thoroughfares and addresses using digital mapping ... while in flight."

Only last December, the Border Patrol said it had no plans to buy surveillance drones, although it would continue to rely on military UAVs for occasional joint operations along the southern and northern U.S. borders. The Customs and Border Protection Bureau, which oversees the patrol, did not comment on the policy change, but a spokeswoman said border agents "have always used modern technology to enhance their effectiveness."