During a Tuesday House Homeland Security Committee hearing about using unmanned aircraft systems for DHS, Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL) spoke in support of using drones for Homeland Security operations.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you, Ranking Member Correa. I now recognize the Chairman for the Subcommittee on Emergency
00:06Management and Technology, the gentleman from Alabama, Mr. Strong, for his opening statement.
00:12Good afternoon. Thank you, my friend, Chairman Michael Guest of Mississippi, for leading this
00:17important discussion and Ranking Member Correa and to all members for being here today. I want
00:23to also thank our witnesses for their time, for sharing their expertise. Let me start by shining
00:28a light on my district, Alabama's fifth, which I'm proud to say is well represented on this panel
00:34today. As many of you know, Huntsville, Alabama is renowned for its leadership in cutting-edge
00:40research and development. As home to Redstone Arsenal, the nation's second largest research
00:46park and several universities, Huntsville is a thriving hub for American innovation. I'm glad
00:52we have such an excellent panel here and look forward to our discussion. Today we're here to
00:57explore how our homeland security partners use unmanned aircraft systems or UAS and how this
01:04technology can be a force multiplier for law enforcement, first responders, CBP, and the DHS
01:11mission set. Emerging technologies like UAS are reshaping the way we respond to disasters.
01:19Drones enable the protection of emergency management personnel in high-risk situations
01:24while at the same time increasing the effectiveness of the work that they do. For example,
01:30small UAS with sophisticated cameras assist in monitoring critical infrastructure and assessing
01:37damage. When equipped with AI, these drones can spot potential flood zones or identify hot spots
01:44and wildfires. The data collected from these flights equip first responders with the tools
01:50to better allocate manpower, vehicles, and victim assistance. Larger drones with heavier
01:56payload capacity and longer flight times are also critical to tools in disaster management.
02:04Rapid deployment and agility enable UAS to access hazardous areas that first responders cannot reach
02:12which proves especially useful when trying to locate survivors or deliver supplies. In response
02:19to Hurricane Helene, the Asheville Police Department deployed drones for search and rescue,
02:25damage assessment, and overwatch for FEMA. Additionally, pre-positioned UAS in western
02:31Florida quickly deployed in response to Hurricane Milton to track the storms and provide real-time
02:38data to law enforcement and first responders. 200 flight hours across 16 agencies were recorded
02:45representing over 1,000 flights flown in the first days following the storm.
02:51This helped to create a common operating picture that enabled first responders to allocate
02:56much-needed resources. This technology helped save countless lives in the wake of these moments of
03:03the storm. DHS has also utilized UAS to safeguard our borders. They leveraged this technology to
03:10protect our homeland from illegal crossings and combat illicit activities such as human
03:17and drug smuggling. CBP faces tremendous challenges from dangerous environments
03:23and a broadening mission set to adversaries that continue to evolve their tactics and capabilities.
03:30Drone technology decreases the workload on CBP agents and provide critical situation awareness
03:39to paint a comprehensive picture of the threats impacting our border. Additionally,
03:44DHS's Science and Technology Directorate leads government-wide UAS research to counter threats
03:52and improve response and recovery operations for disasters. For example, S&T's Air Domain Awareness
04:00Program detects, tracks, and identifies aircraft to prevent and respond to criminal activities
04:08along the border. Also, S&T's National Urban Security Technology Laboratory
04:13manages the SAVER Program. This initiative helps emergency responders and law enforcement
04:19make informed, cost-effective equipment purchases that meets national standards.
04:26And on top of these programs, S&T is leading critical development and counter UAS,
04:31ensuring operational components can defend against nefarious actors.
04:36This work is supported by universities and industry partners, reflecting a collaborative
04:41public-private partnership across all sectors. As the use of these technologies become more
04:48commonplace, these partnerships are critical so that UAS can be safely utilized to their
04:55fullest potential. I look forward to today's conversation learning more about great work
05:01that our witnesses are doing in this space. I'd also like to mention and recognize the CEO
05:08of CULSA Corporation, Francisco Calazzo, who is not with us today. He's back home at the
05:14headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama. He's been a friend of mine for many years, and I know that
05:19this organization does a phenomenal job. I also want to mention the University of Alabama,
05:24Huntsville. I live within five minutes of the University of Alabama in Huntsville,
05:29and I can tell you today, UAH is a critical part to national security.
05:33With an average ACT test score of a 28.5, a little less than 10,000 students, where 80% of them
05:40choose never to leave after graduation to work in national security. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
05:46It's an honor to be here, and I want to thank our guests for joining us.