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Homeland Security

CBP Considers Contractor Owned And Operated Aircraft For Surveillance And Recon

By Cal Biesecker

Thursday, March 28th, 2019

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CBP Considers Contractor Owned And Operated Aircraft For Surveillance And Recon

A General Atomics Predator. Photo: General Atomics

Taking a page out of the Coast Guard’s playbook, Customs and Border Protection is considering acquiring contractor-owned and operated aircraft services for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The Coast Guard currently contracts with Boeing’s [BA] Insitu business unit for the company to operate its ScanEagle small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) aboard the service’s growing fleet of high-endurance National Security Cutters. The ScanEagles are used for a range of ISR missions. The $117 million contract to Insitu was awarded last…

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