UAVs in the service of Homeland Security

UAVs in the service of Homeland Security

Predator C Avenger. Photo: General Atomics

This post is also available in: heעברית (Hebrew)

By David Behr

Armies all over the world have been using UAVs for decades. The U.S. Army leads the way with their use in Iraq and Afghanistan, the NATO armies use them in Kosovo and Libya, and Israel, the biggest UAV exporter according to some sources, uses locally made UAVs in every area where surveillance and monitoring of hostile elements is needed.

Predator C Avenger. Photo: General Atomics
Predator C Avenger. Photo: General Atomics

Ever since 9/11 the homeland defense and home front defense areas grew in importance. After leaders discovered they were unable to handle these complex events, they decided to create HLS infrastructures that would include all threats to security – on national and personal levels and on land, air and sea.

In the U.S. the Department of Homeland Defense was created, handling all aspects of internal security, such as monitoring airports to prevent terror attacks. It also handles issues such as border control, preventing cyber attacks, disasters, business security to prevent “economic terror”, human trafficking and more.

The various unmanned systems in the HLS arena are used as sensor platforms, allowing operators in central control stations to monitor various activities. Sensors are installed on autonomous UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles), USVs (Unmanned Surface Vehicles), autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles, surveillance poles, surveillance balloons and UAVs. UAVs are versatile aircraft, capable of recording visual intelligence during the day, at night and while flying above the cloud cover.

HLS technologies, in fact, are the connection between military systems and homeland defense systems, meaning protecting citizens against terror attacks and preventing cyber attacks. These capabilities are also in use by civilian authorities such as law enforcement, monitoring resources and others.

The number of autonomous vehicles in the U.S. is expected to grow over the next decade and reach 160,000 units. According to a recently published report the international HLS and emergency situations market is expected to reach $544.02 billion by 2018.

The smallest, Tier I UAVs weigh up to 15 kg. Most are carried by two operators as backpacks or by vehicles. They can take off by hand, by an operator, or using a catapult, and some UAVs have VTOL capabilities similar to a helicopter, later flying horizontally according to the commands issued by their operators/pilots. Most of these UAVs use electric motors and can remain in flight up to a few hours, reaching altitudes of only a few hundreds of meters. The visual intelligence they record can be transmitted to the ground station while in flight or downloaded after landing. They are retrieved after deploying parachutes, mostly, although some have landing capabilities.

The next level of UAVs weigh up to 1,500 kg. These aircraft are called MALE – Medium Altitude Long Endurance, and are considered tier II. They often use a diesel/fuel engine and can carry larger and more sophisticated payloads. They can communicate with ground station by satellite, so their operating range is longer. The U.S. operates Predator UAVs in Afghanistan by launching them from a local ground station, and then transferring control to the U.S. by satellite. These aircraft can reach altitudes of 10 km and remain airborne for over 30 hours. They can carry various sensors: electro-optic; infrared, for night vision; laser markers to mark ground targets; SAR radar for flights above the cloud cover; and radar sensors for ELINT (electronic intelligence) missions.

High altitude UAVs are called HALE – High Altitude Long Endurance, and are considered tier III. They fly at an altitude of 60,000 feet and can remain airborne for over 60 hours. This type of UAV allows for increased surveillance capabilities. The Global Hawk, for example, is a HALE system.

The sensor technologies, better connectivity, diverse aircraft and networked control stations – all these can be useful in HLS missions, which aren’t necessarily military in nature: Civilian uses and expanded command and control capabilities.

The following are examples of organizations which are using UAVs:

  • The U.S. Customs and Border Protection unit uses the Predator UAV to monitor the Mexican border, since 2005. The unit employs 10 aircraft and intends to order 14 additional UAVs.
  • The U.S. Forest Service intends to use UAVs to monitor fires.
  • Many American police units are offered incentives to buy small UAVS, as part of a $4 billion HLS program. The UAVs are used to monitor areas and prevent crimes, and are also used to record crime scene data from a height of 15 meters. In the AUVSI 2013 expo federal police representatives presented a memo to all local police units, explaining how UAVs can be used for law enforcement.
  • NASA used the Global Hawk UAV to monitor hurricane Nadine. The aircraft passed over the hurricane and recorded its growth and direction.
  • In Costa Rica UAVs are used to monitor volcanoes. In Japan they are used to spray insecticides and monitor tuna fish, and also to monitor the area around the Fukushima nuclear reactor.
  • In Africa small UAVs monitor animal herds in nature reserves.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

AUS&R 650x90b

There are two complex problems when using UAVs in civilian areas:

  • Loss of privacy. The most advanced sensors can detect an item 15 cm long from a height of 6 km, and scan an area 4 km wide from 12 different angles. The American Congress is now amending the Freedom of Information act, but the High Court already decided, for example, that the police, under the fourth amendment, can fly a UAV “over the fence” while searching for drugs. The limits of personal freedom are unclear, and it’s also unclear who will be in charge of storing all this private, recorded information.
  • Unregulated flight in areas used by manned aircraft. Every American UAV manufacturer must receive a flight permit from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), the highest U.S. body in charge of licensing aircraft. This is also the situation in Israel, where UAV manufacturers must receive permits from the RTA (“civilian aviation administration”). The U.S. federal government instructed the FAA to regulate the integration of UAVs into the airspace used by passenger flights. Six areas in the U.S. have been chosen, in which that integration will be first tested.

According to the findings of a March 2013 survey conducted by RTI in the U.S.:

  • 57% of the public supports using UAVs.
  • 88% support using them for search and rescue.
  • 67% support using them for HLS purposes.
  • 63% support using them to prevent crime.
  • 61% support their use for other commercial interests.

Support was higher among law enforcement personnel, such as police officers.

In Europe the situation is similar. Various UAV regulation boards are looking into the integration of UAVs into airspaces used by manned aircraft. When it comes to HLS issues the focus is on integrating data gathered by UAVs into networked ground stations, making it easier for decision makers to get the necessary information. Lately a road-map document was published, dealing with the development of UAVs and their integration into European airspace.

And in Israel? In the June 2013 Paris Air Show the IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) presented an array of systems and sensors connected to command and control centers, and according the IAI General Manager Yossi Weiss “IAI is developing more and more capabilities in this area. We have a first line of generic capabilities to be used for HLS purposes.” In the Air Show IAI mostly presented systems that can be seen as purely military in nature, but most of them also have been modified for HLS, or will be modified in the future.

Among the HLS issues that IAI is focusing on: Protecting natural resources at sea; monitoring borders using various sensors produced by IAI, such as electro-optic sensors; airborne naval radars, COMINT systems, control centers and the ability to integrate all of the above.

Rafael established a new division that will focus on HLS activities, among other things. The new Land Systems Division will coordinate the development of different land systems, including weapon stations, defensive systems for armored vehicles, shoulder-launch weapon systems and naval warfare systems. In addition, the division will develop systems for protecting infrastructure and strategic facilities at sea and on land, an area which Rafael sees as highly profitable in terms of development and marketing, especially when considering the company’s existing capabilities.

Elbit Systems develops simulators for cyber-traning. The simulators are used to train teams to protect large computer networks, networks in government organizations, militaries, infrastructure services and large financial institutions.

The border protection simulator can fully simulate border environments: Checkpoints, electronic fences, electro-optic sensors. All that allows trainees to detect unusual activities along the borders. The emergency medical services simulator simulates disaster areas in various levels of severity: First aid to the wounded, evacuation by air or by ground vehicle, field ER and hospitals and managing medical resources.

HLS conventions held in Israel deal with various issues:

  • Border defense
  • Protecting national resources
  • Airline security
  • Cyber warfare
  • Operating unmanned ground vehicles for border defense and armed conflicts
  • Operating unmanned surface vehicles for naval security
  • Urban security
  • Ports and ship security

In conclusion: UAVs will become more and more common over the next few years as part of the developments in HLS. As information processing technologies grow more and more advanced, decision makers could receive credible and relevant information that would help them prevent terrorist activities all over the world.