Small Dark Aircraft

The U.S. Border Patrol has identified a critical need to counter the use of low-flying and low-observable aircraft along our northern and southern borders. Detection and accurate tracking is challenging because the terrain masks the low fliers, and the aircraft typically are small and quiet, which makes them hard to find.  The DHS S&T Borders and Maritime Security Division partnered with CBP operations and acquisition components to develop and demonstrate a man-portable system focused on early detection, classification, and tracking of suspected aircraft to differentiate between legitimate and illicit flight behavior. (DHS Video by Science & Technology Directorate/Released)