Drone use for U.S. Border Security falls short of expectations

Tightened border security is at the center of immigration proposals in Congress, and for many lawmakers that means greater use of drones and other high-tech monitoring equipment. 

But tryouts of drones and blimps along U.S. borders suggest the aircraft are more expensive and complex to operate than the government expected. 

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, part of the Department of Homeland Security, used its drones just over one-third of the time they were available, owing to shortages of qualified staff, flight limitations imposed by regulators and other issues, according to a May 2012 report by Homeland Security's inspector general. The border agency has used unmanned planes for nearly a decade.

[...] 

The review by the inspector general concluded Customs and Border Protection had "shortfalls of qualified staff and equipment," which, together with flight limitations imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration, limited actual flight time. Without enough personnel and equipment to operate the drones, the review found, the border agency had to take $25 million from other programs to plug gaps in the drone operations during the 2010 budget year. The agency has agreed with the report's recommendations.

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