Counter Narcotics Missions for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

: With the ongoing draw down of US military forces and shrinking budgets, finding a more cost efficient means of accomplishing military missions is increasingly important. Current Department of Defense counter-narcotic missions operating in conjunction with U.S. Customs and the U.S. Coast Guard should consider using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) as adjunct to military forces or as the primary mission platform. UAVs have proven themselves as a valuable asset the military commander brings to the fight. Used effectively during military operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, UAVs were limited to intelligence and reconnaissance missions. Given the capabilities of UAVs, they can be more actively integrated into other military operations to enhance US military mission accomplishment. More specifically, UAVs should be incorporated into Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) roles specifically tailored to meet the challenges of the counter-narcotic mission. To support this proposition, my research will analyze current and proposed capabilities of UAVs as seen by military and industry leaders. Second, the mission of counter narcotics ISR will be examined to identify matching capabilities to the mission. Then an analysis of what specific capabilities UAVs can be incorporated into the mission of counter narcotics interdiction. Fourth, the integration of UAVs with current weapons systems to produce a synergistic effect will be analyzed. Finally, this paper will show that UAVs can be effectively integrated to enhance US Navy missions within our area of responsibility.