Sunday’s LA Times contains a story that every Member of Congress and homeland security stakeholder ought to read. For the first time that I can remember, AMO Chief Michael Kostelnik, CBP’s main evangelist for acquiring Predator UAVs for border enforcement, admits that the results have NOT been impressive, especially in helping capture illegal drug runners.
The article also points out that the high cost of operating the high altitude UAV is not its only problem:
“The border drones require an hour of maintenance for every hour they fly, cost more to operate than anticipated, and are frequently grounded by rain or other bad weather, according to a draft audit of the program last month by the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general.”
The full LA Times article can be found online. It is well worth reading carefully.
LAST 5 POST BY David Olive
- Congress Heal Thyself - An In-Depth Analysis of Dysfunctionality - May 10th, 2013
- Analyzing CBP's UAV Surveillance Program - April 29th, 2013
- DHS RFI Seeks Comments on Acquisition Planning Forecast System - April 26th, 2013
- The Al Qaeda Threat - Diminished Capacity or Deliberate Concealment? - March 14th, 2013
- At 10 year mark, Time to "Say Something" Constructive about DHS - March 7th, 2013
