In the early 1990s, South American drug cartels came up with a new tactic to transport narcotics destined for the United States: small, radar-dodging, self-propelled, semi-submersibles (SPSSs); better to address the submersible problem, DHS Science and Technology Directorate created its own submersible and called it Pluto, after the planet which is difficult to spot.

The erstwhile planet Pluto was known for decades as a small, dark planet — hidden, difficult to spot, and on a quiet, determined course all its own. So when the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) needed a target semi-submersible to detect the hidden but determined maritime smuggling operations of the South American drug cartels, it created its own vessel and called it Pluto, after the planet which is so difficult to spot.

S&T’s Pluto is a small, semi-submersible which is representative of what are popularly called “narco subs,” and serves as a realistic practice target for the detection systems of DHS and its national security community partners.

A DHS release reports that in the early 1990s, South American drug cartels came up with a new tactic to transport narcotics destined for the United States: small, radar-dodging, self-propelled, semi-submersibles.

Although clandestine semi-submersibles were rumoured to exist in the mid-1990s, many believed them to be a myth, hence their name Bigfoot. Then in 2006, an actual Colombian semi-submersible was captured by the US Coast Guard in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Today, drug cartels continue to build their narco subs. With low profiles and low radar reflectivity, these illegal, stealthy, drugrunning semi-submersibles cut through the water at wave height and are nearly impossible to detect.

S&T built Pluto in 2008 to serve as a surrogate SPSS with many of the same features as the vessels built by the cartels. It is used as a target by DHS and its national security community partners to help test the performance of detection systems and give operators of those systems real world experience under controlled conditions. This testing helps develop new concepts of operation for seaborne, airborne, and space-borne technologies to spot illegal vessels. “Small surface vessels, self-propelled semi-submersibles, and now the most recent innovation of fully submerged vessels (FSVs), pose significant challenges to maritime security,” says Tom Tomaiko of S&T’s Borders and Maritime Security Division.

“While some small boats sitting low in the water have legitimate purposes, there are many that are used for illicit purposes The release notes that dozens of these boats have been captured by the United States and partner nation law enforcement agencies in the last few years, sometimes with their cargo still on board, sometimes after it has been thrown overboard. “When the crews become aware they’ve been spotted, they will typically scuttle the boat immediately, knowing they’ll be rescued by us anyway,” says Tomaiko. Meanwhile, cramped living conditions within the illegal SSPSs can be horrendous. There is generally only 3” of space above the waterline, meaning the ride can be very rough. The small crews of three or four have little to eat, poor air quality, no toilet facilities, operate with little rest until they reach their destination, and are sometimes watched over by an armed guard.