The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week issued an expanded certificate of authorization (COA) to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), permitting the agency to fly unmanned aircraft missions along another 900 miles of the country’s northern border with Canada.
On Jan. 20 CBP flew a Predator B unmanned aircraft system (UAS) on the first long-range flight to utilize the expanded COA.
The previous COA allowed unmanned flights along 300 miles of northern border, which covers an area beginning around Minot, N.D., and extending east to the Lake-of-the-Woods region of Minnesota. The new COA extends the airspace for unmanned flights west from Minot to the area of Spokane, Wash.
CBP flies Predator missions along the nation’s northern and southern borders in support of counternarcotics, counter-terrorism and border security operations. The agency currently has fielded six General Atomics-built Predator Bs, two of which conduct operations in the north from Grand Forks, N.D., and is about to deploy a seventh to a new base of operations in Corpus Christi, Texas.
CBP has funding for 10 Predators and eventually hopes to expand the fleet to 24 aircraft, including a maritime variant called the Guardian.