Drones and Port Security at the Port of Brownsville is a technical paper sponsored by the Sam Houston State University Institute for Homeland Security. It was written by John P. Sullivan, George W. Davis, and Tom Adams.

This technical paper presents a geospatial security assessment for the Port of Brownsville, Texas (Brownsville Navigation District). As a crucial intermodal transportation hub with a growing focus on industrial development, the Port of Brownsville holds the distinction of being the sole deep-water port situated directly on the US-Mexico border.

The primary objective of this drone assessment is to evaluate the potential threats posed by aerial drones and unmanned or uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to the port. It seeks to assess the possible impacts of drones on both port operations and security. Furthermore, the paper aims to propose potential countermeasures (counter-UAS) and provide an introduction to emerging drone threats, encompassing unmanned vessels, ground vehicles, and drone swarms or swarming attacks.

The paper delves into the repercussions of various drone threats on port operations and explores mechanisms for enhancing indications, warnings, detection, and response to drone threats within the Port of Brownsville. Additionally, it discusses potential avenues for sharing threat data with other ports, port security personnel, law enforcement agencies, and emergency responders.

Drones and Port Security at the Port of Brownsville contains the following major sections:

  • Introduction
  • Situation/Methodology
  • Overview of Drone Threats (UAS and Emerging Threats)
  • Site Survey and Port-Specific UAS Issues
  • Operational and Legal Issues
  • Current Legal and Legislative Landscape for Counter-UAS in the United States
  • Texas, Cameron County, and Brownsville UAS Laws and Ordinances
  • Discussions and Recommendations
  • Overview of Counter-UAS Technologies and Capabilities
  • Counter-UAS Considerations
  • Recommended Courses of Action

This information was published with the permission of the authors.

C-UAS Hub does not own this content and provides a link for users at the bottom of the page to access it in its original location. All credit goes to its rightful owner.

Authors– John P. Sullivan, George W. Davis, and Tom Adams

See Also-

Critical Infrastructure Counter-UAS Resources on C-UAS Hub

Post Image- Port of Brownsville (Image Credit: Adobe Stock by  masterskuz55)