A recent decision by the Department of Homeland Security on defending against drones may look to the observer as a bit of extraneous “mission creep”.
On April 25 DHS released a “Statement by Secretary Mayorkas on the Administration’s Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) National Action Plan and Legislative Proposal”.
Citing the dangers of “the malicious and illicit use of unmanned aircraft systems”, he called for the “re-authorization and expansion of DHS’s C-UAS” mission.
While drones in the wrong hands are clearly a problem for this and other nations, is this a task for DHS? The Department of Defense has massive experience in both operating drones and creating systems to defend against them.
Further, and of almost equal importance, DOD has experience issuing contracts for this kind of work, which tends to be expensive. I worry that DHS already has too much on its plate and that it’s a waste of money.
It reminds us, however, that DHS is already a min-DOD. Homeland Security already has:
- An army, in the Border Patrol;
- A navy in the Coast Guard, and maritime units of the BP; and
- A couple of air forces, in both the Coast Guard and the Border Patrol.
These arrangements may have helped lead to the anti-drone decision.