Politics & Government

Military Quells Fears Over Drone Safety, Privacy

Pennsylvania Air National Guard representatives joined local politicians at a press conference Friday to answer questions about a drone command center at the Horsham Air Guard Station.

Telling a roomful of reporters, politicians and military that, "You should trust your Department of Defense," the colonel of the 111th Fighter Wing on Friday addressed concerns stemming from the establishment of a drone command center at the Horsham Air Guard Station.

Chief among them were privacy concerns related to government spying and security issues should the facility be the target of a terrorist attack.

Military personnel piloting the planes remotely from Horsham and flying them overseas for intelligence, surveillance, combat and search and rescue missions would "fly with DOD rules," according to Col. Howard "Chip" Eissler, commander of the 111th Fighter Wing of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard.

Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The A-10s, which his unit flew previously from Horsham prior to the closure of the adjacent Willow Grove air base, had "very similar sensors," he said.

"Those questions were never asked, nor should they be," Eissler said. "You should trust your Department of Defense."

Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Safety

In terms of security threats, Eissler said measures are already being taken to thwart any potential attacks.

Horsham Township Manager Bill Walker, who was in attendance Friday, along with township council members, told Patch that the new mission would not pose any greater threats as past missions.

"We've hosted the military since 1943 in Horsham," Walker said. "I think we've always been looked at as a target."

As far as potential ammunition misfires, Eissler said locals should not worry because drones would not be loaded while flying in the states. And, in fact, the aircraft would never fly over Horsham Township, or surrounding communities, according to Major General Wesley E. Craig, who said the FAA forbid local flights.

Once overseas, however, Eissler said the aircraft would have a "robust set" of ammunition, including 500-pound precision guided munition.

So, where will the aircraft be stored?

Officials said the planes, MQ-9 Reapers, could be located in Fort Indiantown Gap. The aircraft would be flown to various locales for missions, Eissler said.

"It could be anywhere," Eissler said.

Cost of the mission

While Eissler would not say how many drones were needed for the mission, he said the planes cost $53 million per every four aircraft.

Besides aircraft expenses, Eissler said between $7 to $8 million will be spent to rehabilitate buildings at the Horsham Air Guard Station. In all, Eissler estimated construction costs in the $7 million to $10 million range.

"A lot of construction is going to be coming to the base," he said.

Eissler said 58 pilots trained by the Air Force, as well as 58 sensor operators, would help man the center, which he said would employ "at least" 250 people, including 79 full-time workers. Of those, Eissler said 208 would be military positions.

Additional "support" needed in terms of round-the-clock higher level security could create even more jobs, Eissler said.

Currently, 2,500 personnel are assigned to the Horsham Air Guard Station, according to poster boards on display Friday.

Beginning the mission

Hiring and training for the mission, which is expected to get underway on Oct. 1, is ongoing, Eissler said. Some of the pilots are training in Syracuse, N.Y. now, he said.

However, the Oct. 1 date was more of when the project would begin to be funded rather than when planes would start to be remotely flown, he said. Eissler said it would take two years to train personnel and build facilities needed.

The second phase of design for the buildings is in hand now, Eissler said, adding that construction could begin in November.

Once the planes take to the sky, Eissler, who has been deployed six times since joining the 111th Fighter Wing in 1992, said remotely piloted aircraft would dramatically reduce the need for troops to be deployed overseas. In Afghanistan, for instance, he said 150 to 200 soldiers are sent at a time. The drones would allow for as few as 10 people to be overseas and the rest to be "at home supporting that."

Getting the mission

Eissler and Craig said they lobbied the U.S. Air Force for the drone mission, in part because the 111th Fighter Wing's A-10 unit had been the "most experienced," Eissler said.

If you were to "cut and paste" the mission of A-10s, Eissler said it would be "almost an exact match."

Future missions

Craig said military officials are negotiating with the U.S. Air Force to house a Cyber network for Internet defense operations at the Horsham Air Guard Station. The Air National Guard has a "really strong proposal," Craig said, adding that he hopes to be able to make a similar announcement in a year to year and a half.

Congressman Patrick Meehan (R-7), said this week's announcement about 250 jobs and the potential for even more jobs was a "great, great day for this region."

"When we're talking about vibrancy, we're talking about jobs," Meehan said during the press conference. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here