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SPECIAL REPORT
Securing the Border: Air Domain
by Tristam Constant, International Mission Operations, Anduril
Recent advances in the manufacturability, sophistication, and affordability of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) – “drones” in more colloquial parlance – have complexified the border security mission. On one hand, unmanned – even autonomous – aerial systems can radically expand the situational awareness of border security forces, a particular boon for those agencies experiencing manpower shortages and those tasked with patrolling austere environments. On the other hand, the government hardly has a monopoly on the use of these drones: drone users range from low-level hobbyists to
Border Security Report | March/April 2022
sophisticated criminal organizations. The most sophisticated actors have demonstrated an ability to conduct surveillance missions with drones to discern the operational schedules, inventory, and practices of government agencies, as well as to transport goods (e.g., narcotics) across borders in clandestine fashion. The power of small drones to shape the battlefield has become readily apparent in recent years, but the threat they pose in a border environment has more recently come to light. The drone threat is made especially pernicious by a variety of factors, including:
