General Counterdrug Intelligence Plan
Appendix B – Counterdrug Scientific and
Technological Needs
The following list of priority scientific and technological needs reflects inputs from U.S. Customs Service (USCS), Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Agricultural Research Service of the Department of Agriculture has also provided substantial input on their research program needs which is included in Appendix C.
The individual scientific and technological needs for each agency were combined into one composite listing according to "short" (1-2 years), "medium" (3-5 years) and "long-term" (over 5 years) time horizons for Nonintrusive Inspection, Wide Area Surveillance, and Tactical Technologies applications. The needs have been cited "as submitted" with the agencies specifically citing a particular need shown in parenthesis beside the description. The Demand Reduction basic and applied research needs and initiatives have been identified according to two categories: (1) improving treatment through neuroscientific advances, and (2) improving the transfer of biomedical research to the clinical setting.
NONINTRUSIVE INSPECTION
Short Term (1-2 years)
Improved x-ray and gamma ray detector technology (USCS)
Accurate signatures for detectable illicit drug emissions in operational environments for physical and chemical detection (USCG)
Portable/transportable capability to detect and classify drugs and contraband in vessels, compartments and containers of all sizes during at-sea and port-side inspections (DoD/USCG)
Portable /transportable capability to detect false compartments or other anomalies in vessels, compartments and containers of all sizes (USCG/INS)
Device for detecting narcotics swallowers (USCS)
Portal detection system for passenger screening (USCS)
Standards for technologies that detect the presence of drugs on individuals (NIJ)
A cost effective technology to detect small amounts of drugs in large volumes of mail or other packages (NIJ)
A cheaper, quicker, more reliable, and less invasive inmate drug testing device is needed (NIJ)
A reliable replacement for urinanlysis for drug use screening in a correctional environment (NIJ)
Surface Acoustic Wave – Immunoassay technology for narcotics detection (USCS)
Canine enforcement program R&D facility (USCS)
Hand-held bulk currency detector (USCS)
Medium Term (3-5 years)
Program for selective breeding of dogs for special applications (USCS)
Rapid detection of drugs in cars, without removing occupants (DoD)
Long Term (over 5 years)
Improvements to nonintrusive tools for drug detection and space accountability (better, cheaper, lighter, smaller, more power efficient) (USCG)
Short Term (1-2 years)
Ultra-wide area ocean surveillance tracking of low radar cross-section small craft (DoD)
Over-the-Horizon (OTH) radar technology to effectively detect and track specific types of maritime targets (1) small craft (30-foot) with low radar cross-section and (2) 100-foot slow moving ships (10-15 knots) (DoD)
OTH technology that will provide 1nm positional accuracy for airborne targets (DoD)
Effective computer "data-mining" to identify (1) commercial maritime smuggling vessels/containers, (2) air smuggling aircraft in South America, and (3) land smuggling trucks/companies on the Southwest Border (DoD)
Wide area surveillance technology to locate active major cocaine hydrochloride labs (DoD)
Improved target detection, sorting, classification, tracking and identification, including OTH detection and tracking (USCS/USCG)
Improve the capability to correlate multiple sensor inputs into one presentation (USCG)
Automatic sorting and tracking (legitimate vs. suspect targets) (USCG)
Develop unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) applications with a multi-sensor package (>1000 nautical miles) (USCG)
Satisfy airspace control concerns for UAVs (USCG)
Command and control workstation that integrates surveillance, tracking, analysis and map data and includes communication interface with other computer information systems and voice communication networks (USCG)
Remote seismic, magnetic and infrared ground sensing to provide monitoring without agent presence at localized border areas (INS)
Night vision capability, including fixed and mobile long range surveillance target acquisition systems, wearable goggles, hand-held "pocket" units (INS)
Sensor alarm and dispatch support to communicate appropriate responses to agents in the field for events requiring response (INS)
Centralized command and control system integrating data from unattended ground sensors; infrared and other night vision systems, including an elaborate system of fixed cameras along the border; and dispatch data (INS)
Remote long line ground sensing to provide monitoring without agent presence in distant areas (INS)
Faster, more agile, quieter, and safer rotary wing capability (INS)
Medium Term (3-5 years)
Advanced interceptor vessel hull design (USCS)
Miniaturized covert tagging and tracking devices (USCS)
Next generation "tags" for aircraft, maritime, and ground targets (DoD)
Airborne, standoff "tagging" of aircraft targets (DoD)
Airborne wide-area surveillance technology to detect masked marijuana cultivation and Meth laboratories (DoD)
Next generation of tunnel detection technology (DoD)
Develop track recording sufficient to reveal patterns and changes to patterns and routes used by drug traffickers on land, sea, and in the air. Integrate this capability with graphical information systems. Automatic integration of all source databases. Significantly improve the positional accuracy of OTH and relocatable OTH radar to 1-2 nautical miles (USCG)
Long Term (over 5 years)
Improvements to wide area surveillance tools for drug detection and space accountability (better, cheaper, lighter, smaller, more power efficient) (USCG)
TACTICAL TECHNOLOGIES
Short Term (1-2 years)
Improved surveillance sensors for maritime (including aviation and unmanned aerial vehicle) use, radar, acoustic, high resolution night vision, low light TV, infrared, other electro optical systems (USCG)
Portable, non lethal capability to control, stop, or disable fleeing vessels (to include non-ordnance and ordnance delivery systems adapted to aircraft and high speed surface assets) (USCG)
Improved communications systems to share data across platforms, including tactical picture, from multiple sensor inputs: voice, data imagery, tactical situation information (USCG)
Real-time worldwide tracking system for aircraft, vessels, vehicles, and packages (DEA)
Personnel safety and security system for counterdrug agents with worldwide coverage (DEA)
A system that provides voice identification at a Title III workstation (DEA)
A system that provides facial identification under surveillance conditions (DEA)
A method to detect and classify go-fast boats (DEA)
A method to detect operating clandestine cocaine manufacturing labs (DEA)
A method to detect operating clandestine methamphetamine manufacturing labs (DEA)
Interception of traffickers communications over Digital Subscriber Line, Internet, and CATV (DEA)
A digital narrowband audio transmitter secreted in an operational wristwatch (DEA)
Combination digital narrowband audio transmitter/recorder (DEA)
A remote audio transmitter that operates off the existing cellular phone service networks and has user programmable formats (DEA)
A 500 MW digital narrowband transmitter that can be secreted in multiple concealments (DEA)
Interception and direction finding of trafficker's communications over satellite telephone (DEA)
The capability to transmit full or near full motion video imagery over conventional telephone lines using enhanced video compression techniques (DEA)
The capability to combine future wide bandwidth Internet devices with full or near full motion video imaging (DEA)
A stand-alone tracking display system supporting existing and future tracking and communications devices and systems designed to provide position data in the forms of latitudinal and longitudinal data and text messaging to a central monitoring site (DEA)
A satellite based sensor relay unit with increased bandwidth efficiency and lower power requirements. Device to accept input from sensors, switches, etc. and transmit via global network (DEA)
An acoustic airfield monitor with long life, satellite data link and simplified deployment.
Integration of a GPS chipset in a miniature, high power search and rescue satellite (SARSAT) beacon (DEA)
Upgrade the current ONDCP funded Map N Track display software to operate with the additional GPS tracking devices. Expand coverage to include low-resolution world maps and high-resolution maps of U.S. territories. Add a data backup feature and incorporate a database (DEA)
Miniature, low power GPS tracking devices which utilize national terrestrial packet switch communications networks (DEA)
Miniature, low power GPS data loggers embedded in common equipment and packages (DEA)
Automated enforcement case tracking that supports the INS in its law enforcement mission, including identification, apprehension and removal of aliens illegally in the United States; the filing of administrative and criminal charges against aliens who commit illegal acts; and the seizure of contraband associated with illegal alien activity (INS)
Secure, digital, wireless and interoperable agency wide communications (INS)
The establishment of a law enforcement Antenna Systems Development Facility (ASDF). The ASDF would provide expert capabilities in radio frequency propagation technology (FBI)
Geographic information in a system which assembles, stores, manipulates and displays data over a map background (INS)
State-of-the-art fingerprinting matching technology to ensure accurate identification of all apprehended aliens (INS)
Medium Term (3-5 years)
Unmanned aerial vehicles which can be operated from large cutters at sea (USCG)
Information and decision support systems (USCG)
Track recording capability sufficient to reveal land/sea/air drug trafficking routes (USCG)
Ability to retrieve and fuse information from heterogeneous databases including text (USCG)
Web-based intelligence/information architecture. Identification of potentially suspicious activity and of aggregate patterns and trends from large databases by linking together relevant information and by search for similar (versus identical) information (USCG)
Decision support systems to improve effectiveness of searches. (e.g., patterns recognition and profile development systems for targeting suspect vessels and traffickers) (USCG)
Mobile push to talk, low probability of intercept communications (USCG)
Improved "hands-free" surveillance (video/audio) recorders for maritime small high-speed surface vessels use: video, high resolution night vision, low light TV, infrared, other electro-optical systems (USCG)
Long Term (over 5 years)
Improved sensors (better, cheaper, lighter, smaller, more power efficient) (USCG)
Unmanned aerial vehicles which can be operated from small cutters at sea (USCG)
High performance database systems which allow for aggregate queries on arbitrary criteria (USCG)
Software to automatically extract information from text and populate databases (USCG)
DEMAND REDUCTION
Improving treatment through neuroscientific advances
Expansion of advanced neuroimaging research facilities and training of research teams who are devoted to studies of drug abuse and therapeutic medications. The technology should provide neuro-imaging research equipment suites and facilities with the best positron emission tomography (PET), functional nuclear magnetic resonance (fNMR) imaging, brain scan image processing and interpretation, and other noninvasive brain imaging techniques.
Contribute to the development of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) systems development or improvements to image the drug's metabolic and chemical processes, map brain reward circuitry, blood volume and flow associated with drug metabolism, analyze interactions with potential therapeutic medicines, ligand development, and study of localized active areas of the brain.
Micro-PET with stereotactic probes/injectors to enhance ligand development and studies on small localized areas of the brain and on non-human primates.
Improving the transfer of biomedical research to the clinical setting
Scientific studies and technologies that could provide the platform for key research areas such as: catalytic antibodies as peripheral blockers or circulating drug interceptors; substitute medications and partial agonists for addiction; blocking drug effects by regulating uptake of neurotransmitters; curtailment of drug-induced adaptive behavior such as compulsive self-administration; assessment of functional neuroanatomy and effects of cognitive impairment; pharmacological phenomena and neurochemical effects relating to sensitization and tolerance; cue induced craving; significance of various rewards; the study of the effects and degree of genetic contributions to drug use; and sound clinical techniques, rehabilitation, and treatment protocols to deal with overdoses, withdrawal, and long term maintenance.
Psychology, pharmacology, and chemical assay techniques to improve our understanding of the effects of drugs on the body, techniques for assessing and monitoring drug addiction and abuse severity, and techniques for treatment/client matching.
Drug testing in sports, investigate innovative approaches for screening for doping and other performance enhancing substances and drugs currently not detectable by urine tests, and to develop cheaper test procedures for handling urine specimens collected from competing athletes. Systems, methods, and protocols that will assist understanding and detecting the use of performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic and androgenic steroids by athletes competing locally, nationally, and internationally
Youth/first time offender diversion, expansion of the analytical capabilities of the National Evaluation of Substance Abuse Treatment computer network, and therapeutic treatments for cocaine addiction.