If for no other reason than American Patrol giving the impression that the job can be done so cheap.
Doesn't Glenn Spencer have the decency to have a little consideration for the Defense and Security contractors that have invested their valuable time and the weight of their considerable political connections behind a scheme to defraud the U.S. Taxpayers out of billions for endless, meaningless studies and worthless, redundant research and development?
Sure anybody can build drones for $12,000 to $27,000 each, but you can't sell them to the governmental agencies for that and still have money left over for bribes, mega-buck campaign contributions, gifts, travel junkets, limo rides, fancy, expensive cars, plush office space, lap dances, strip joints, hookers, etc..
That's why there need to be laws passed to keep private citizens out of these concerns!
They don't understand how the system works. ;^)