Editing Surveillance aircraft (section)

==Roles==

=== Maritime patrol ===
{{Main|Maritime patrol aircraft}}
[[File:EGVA - Boeing P-8A Poseidon - US Navy - 169329 PD-329 (48390102297).jpg|thumb|A US Navy [[Boeing P-8 Poseidon|P-8 Poseidon]] on take off]]The main components of maritime surveillance consist of sightings from ship captains and aircraft pilots. However, due to the radar horizon, surveillance aircraft are preferred as they can identify targets hundreds of miles further than vessels.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/ocm54345248 |title=2003 proceedings of the International Conference on Radar: Adelaide, Australia, September 3-5, 2003 |date=2003 |publisher=IEEE |isbn=978-0-7803-7870-4 |editor-last=Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |location=Piscataway, N.J |oclc=ocm54345248}}</ref> 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. Currently, the Coast Guard has roughly 250 drone certified officers across the US.<ref name=":52">{{Cite news |last=Pulkkinen |first=AJ |date=1 Aug 2023 |title=Changing the way we do business |url=https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/3477953/changing-the-way-we-do-business/ |work=[[United States Coast Guard]]}}</ref> The main uses of UASs within maritime activities are search and rescue operations and responding to different environmental disasters.<ref name=":52" /> The Coast Guard’s use of unmanned drones specifically led them to creating an “Unmanned Systems Strategic Plan.” This plan would expand the use of current aerial surveillance systems to new challenges such as drug trafficking surveillance, migrant interdiction, and ice operations.<ref name=":62">{{Cite news |last=Deputy Commandant for Operations |date=Mar 2023 |title=Unmanned Systems Strategic Plan |url=https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/2023%20Unmanned%20Systems%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf |work=[[United States Coast Guard]]}}</ref> With regards to environmental tasks, UASs will be expanded to address marine safety, fishing activity, and navigational uses.<ref name=":62" /> The Coast Guard outlines the future of aerial surveillance in maritime patrol as improving current UAS systems, integrating improved sensors and AI/ML, and creating more organized command and control plans/operations.<ref name=":62" />

[[Maritime patrol aircraft]] are typically large, slow machines capable of flying continuously for many hours, with a wide range of sensors. Such aircraft include the [[Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod]], the [[Breguet Atlantique]], the [[Tupolev Tu-95]], the [[Lockheed P-2 Neptune]] and the [[Lockheed P-3 Orion]]/[[Lockheed CP-140 Aurora|CP-140 Aurora]]. Smaller ship-launched [[observation seaplane]]s were used from World War I through World War II.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Major Elliot M. |first=John |date=Jan 1990 |title=Battleship Floatplanes |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/1990/january/battleship-floatplanes |journal=[[Naval History Magazine]] |volume=4 |issue=1}}</ref>

===Law enforcement===
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are being increasingly deployed by U.S. law enforcement agencies. 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. There are a few federal laws that apple to the use of unmanned surveillance systems, the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA) currently only has 2 options for the use of this technology by law enforcement. The first is that they can only operate them under 400 feet and need to maintain visual of the aircraft. Second, operators of the aircraft need to receive specific license and certifications to operate them. In response to the few and vague laws, the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] (DOJ) and [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Department of Homeland Security]] (DHS) has created policies to regulate the use and deployment of these drones domestically.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Finklea |first=Kristin |date=August 22, 2023 |title=Law Enforcement and Technology: Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems |url=https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47660 |access-date=April 2, 2023 |website=FAS Project on Government Secrecy}}</ref>

[[General Atomics MQ-1 Predator|Predator]] UAVs have been used by the [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection|US for border patrol]].<ref>{{cite news |date=December 7, 2009 |title=LA Now – Southern California, December 7, 2009 |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/drone-aircraft-will-be-used-to-nab-illegal-immigrants-on-californiamexico-border.html |access-date=May 20, 2010 |publisher=Latimesblogs.latimes.com}}</ref>

===Battlefield and airspace surveillance===
{{Main|Airborne early warning and control|Airborne ground surveillance}}