Introduction
There are many critical issues to consider when developing strategies on how to implement an Unmanned System (US) for a new mission or operation. First, the mission type and mission requirements must be reviewed and then external factors that may limit unmanned system operation need to be reviewed. Four of those factors that are critical to the mission operation are privacy, ethics, safety and Lost Link or Loss of System Control. For this blog, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) drug interdiction on the high seas will be evaluated and discussed.
Privacy
Privacy is always a hot button when discussing Unmanned System operations or “drone operations. The public is concerned about the scenario that puts a UAV hovering over their backyard while a family is enjoying their pool. This, of course, is the extreme case, but there are many concerns like this when talking about drones. Privacy in the case of drug interdiction, however, should not be a factor in my opinion. If the military is using drones to track, detect an assist with the apprehension of drug smugglers, any rights of privacy that may have been afforded were lost when they began the illegal activity.
Ethics
Ethical operations of a UAV's
for drug interdiction on the high seas does not appear to be an issue either. UAV’s that are conducting surveillance, collecting data, reporting data while flying at an altitude of up to 19,500 feet, will not have any direct contact with the people that it is surveilling. The drug interdiction UAV’s will not typically be equipped with any weapons packages and therefore will not put the operators in a position of engaging in combat operating from a distant locating. Additionally, the drug interdiction UAV’s will not be used for direct rescue missions, that could potentially cause an ethical issue if it were to fail during said rescue missions.
Safety is another critical element of UAV operation for drug interdiction. Currently, most agencies that conduct drug interdiction operations, do so utilizing helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The crews that fly these aircraft and the personnel that support the flight of these aircraft are put into dangerous situations. The advancement of unmanned systems now provides an opportunity to remove manned operations like the Coast Guards airborne drug interdiction operations and replace them with an unmanned system that is more cost effective to operate and maintain, and more importantly, eliminate the risk to the crew and the personnel supporting the manned mission.
Lost Link/Loss of System Control
Finally, Lost Link or Loss of System Control must be reviewed as well. Having a Lost link situation in flight could be hazardous to anyone in the vicinity of the flight/operational area. For the drug interdiction operation, the UAV must have a lost link function in place, which puts the UAV in an orbit until the link is re-established or be able to be recovered with the UAV system recovery equipment. Additionally, the UAV should be equipped with primary and secondary communication packages that can communicate via satellite or line-of-site to support continued flight if the link is lost.
Conclusion
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle operations for drug interdiction is an outstanding idea. UAV’s are an affordable system that can conduct surveillance, collect vital on scene data, transmit data to decision makers, provide live feed video for real-time information and can fly beyond the limits of the manned aircraft. UAV’s remove manned crews from dangerous flight operations as well as the crews that support the manned flights. Ethical concerns with UAV operations do not appear to be an issue in this application The UAV’s will be flying at high altitudes and will not have direct contact with any personnel during the mission. Any legal concerns that may arise while conduction drug interdiction on the high seas is covered by 14 U.S. Code 89. Under Code 14 U.S. Code 89, law enforcement agencies are authorized to conduct law for operations in international waters. The code states in part, that the agencies may make inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests upon the high seas and waters over which the United States has jurisdiction, for the prevention, detection, and suppression of violations of laws of the United States” (Cornell, n.d.). UAV’s are a cost-effective tool that is mobile, easily stored, possess the ability to be launched and recovered quickly, is versatile and can configure for a wide variety of missions is reliable and saves lives by removing the human element for a dangerous mission.
Reference
Cornell Law School. (n.d.). U.S. Code 89 - law enforcement. Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/14/89
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