WEBVTT

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We recently had an opportunity

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through our relationship with the

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U.S. Special Operations Command,

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SOCOM of DOD to requisition some Group 3 UAS systems.

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And so Group 3 UAS systems are typically

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the over 100 pound type aircraft.

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These Group 3 UAS that we got

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are Insitu Blackjacks and ScanEagles.

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Both of these aircraft are going
to really help us define

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what CBP needs in the future,

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and we did it with really very little cost.

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The DOD acquisition cost of those four systems

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was approximately $36 million,

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which the benefit to CBP and the taxpayers was

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those systems were brought over

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to us for free and then in turn

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we also got access to the schoolhouse

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for the maintainers and the operators

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which allowed us actually to fly the aircraft.

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So that's where having the solution is wonderful,

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but if you don't have the actual people trained

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to utilize those things,

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it doesn't really amount to the difference in capability

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and so by being able to take those assets

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from DOD as that came out of theater

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and bring them into the Homeland Security Mission,

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we basically warped two years ahead of ourselves.

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There's a lot of mission space where CBP

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is covering as part of the overarching
U.S. government approach

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to a wide range of missions sets.

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So in this case, these UAS assets
can be used for search

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and rescue missions, hurricane relief, border security.

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There's just a very wide breath

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where this this platform helps us.

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The reason why this is such a robust capability for us

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is manned aircraft is very expensive to operate

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and really only gives us a small amount of air support,

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like in the window of time

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and using a unmanned aerial system,

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especially in that Group 3 space gives

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you ten, 12 or more hours of persistent air support,

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which honestly doesn't really exist unless you get into the

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very large unmanned systems that also exist within DHS.

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The camera systems on these are next generation type stuff.

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So we can really get eyes in on an area

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where quite honestly, we may have had to physically go.

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And that's safer for for us, it's safer for for the public.

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It gives us the ability to cover more ground

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in a shorter period of time, which is also very important,

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especially in a search and search and rescue type mission,

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where you know, moments count.

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And then obviously in a border security mission,

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you know, vigilance on the border is a very important thing.

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Being able to execute on the mission

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with the most information possible is by far

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what will save lives in the long run.