Surveillance aircraft
They are primarily operated by military forces and government agencies in roles including intelligence gathering, maritime patrol, battlefield and airspace surveillance, observation (e.g. artillery spotting), and law enforcement.
The surveillance mission is much more integral to the kill chain, with more tactically oriented operations servicing the short-term decision-making process.
In the military context, a distinction can be drawn between surveillance, which monitors a changing situation in real time, and reconnaissance, which captures a static picture for analysis.
In the early 1790s, the French would deploy a hydrogen-filled balloon that held two soldiers: one who possessed a telescope, and the other would relay information to troops on the ground.
[4] One of the first aircraft used for surveillance was the Rumpler Taube during World War I, when aviators like Fred Zinn evolved entirely new methods of reconnaissance and photography.
[15] An example of this today is the Coast Guard’s use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) to improve their capabilities while reducing the risk for service members.
[17] Maritime patrol aircraft are typically large, slow machines capable of flying continuously for many hours, with a wide range of sensors.
In August 2023, a Congressional Research Service to members of Congress described the multiple uses of these aircraft, including general surveillance and intelligence or evidence gathering.
Unmanned surveillance drones can also be used to identify the locations of suspects who may be hiding or analyze the physical layout of a room before officers enter.
Furthermore, unmanned surveillance drones can be used by law enforcement to light up large areas where it may be dark and difficult for officers to use traditional means of illumination.
[20] Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) surveillance aircraft have been "deployed or are under development in many countries, including Israel, Iran, the UK, the United States, Canada, China, India, South Africa and Pakistan.
The United States military has flown reconnaissance flights, called sensitive reconnaissance operations (SRO) by the U.S. Air Force, to monitor expansionist developments by the People’s Republic of China, North Korea, and Russia in the Indo-Pacific region for decades; however, recent operations in the region have focused on monitoring movements by the People’s Republic of China.
[26] The United States military had flown MQ-9 Reapers, unmanned aerial vehicles capable of more than 20 consecutive hours of flight, over the Gaza Strip for at least a month after the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
According to the U.S. Defense Department, flights collected surveillance with the purpose of locating hostages taken by Hamas during the surprise attack on Israel and finding signs of life, but did not aid Israeli military ground operations.
[28] As of March 2024, the Israeli military conducted hundreds of flight hours and almost 100 sorties in Gaza using the Oron reconnaissance aircraft, previously used as a business jet and upgraded to include advanced sensors and defense systems.
[29] On June 18, 2024, Hezbollah released drone footage capturing sensitive sites in northern Israel, including military complexes and naval bases around Haifa.
Hezbollah's campaign aims to intimidate and threaten Israel by displaying its surveillance capabilities and asserting its ability to penetrate Israeli defenses.
[30] With smaller equipment, long-range business aircraft can be modified in surveillance aircraft to perform specialized missions cost-effectively, from ground surveillance to maritime patrol:[31] Drones are increasingly used in conservation work to complete tasks such as mapping forest cover, tracking wildlife, and enforcing environmental laws by catching illegal loggers or poachers.
The recorded video was sent to a digital network that could be accessed by various federal agencies and local law enforcement for use in criminal investigations.
However, the National Air Security Operations Center stated the drones flew at a height that made it impossible to identify individuals or license plates.
[34] A 2014 survey from the Pew Center showed that pluralities or majorities of people in 39 of 44 countries oppose American drone strikes in the Middle East.
Additionally, following the Edward Snowden incident, concern within the US is only increasing regarding the government respecting people’s privacy and civil liberties.
Findings from an ethical analysis suggest people understand the benefits UAVs contribute to protecting the public while at the same time poses a risk to individual safety.
[9] In the U.S., case law holds that airborne surveillance does not violate privacy rights protected under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, so long as unmanned aircraft systems are not in "general public use".
