The Boeing Company has successfully tested the first Secure Border Initiative (SBI) integrated mobile sensor tower, a key element of the SBInet system’s mobile component.
The 6,000 miles of U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico include terrain ranging from urban to rural, desert to mountains, so DHS wants to deploy a variety of defense systems. Last fall, the department tapped the Boeing Co. to be its integrator.
According to Dr. Kirk Evans, SBInet program manager, the 98-foot high tower will detect and identify entries into the U.S., allowing Border Patrol agents to respond and resolve the situation. The tower houses cameras, radar, wireless data access points, communications and computer equipment, and a tower security system.
The mobile sensor towers will provide surveillance data to the Common Operating Picture, a critical component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s comprehensive border security solution.
Nine towers are currently scheduled for the Southwest border and will be deployed by the end of May. Engineers then will configure the towers in the field and their interfaces with the SBInet COP and agent vehicles. “Project 28,” the initial operational task order for SBInet, is scheduled for operational deployment in June. Remote video surveillance (RVS) systems, sensors (seismic, magnetic, and thermal detection), and intelligent computer-assisted detection (ICAD) are components of the congressionally funded Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System (ISIS).
The Secure Border Initiative (SBI) is a comprehensive multi-year plan to secure America’s borders. SBInet is the program component responsible for integrating personnel, infrastructure, technologies and rapid response capability.
SBInet replaces two former programs, America’s Shield Initiative (ASI) and the Integrated Surveillance Intelligence System (ISIS). The ISIS, constructed between 1998 and 2004, took $429 million to build. Federal auditors considered it an ineffective mess, thanks to contracting errors, incomplete installations and lack of oversight. To avoid such problems, DHS decided to have SBInet completely managed by a single private contractor.
Boeing’s subcontractors include:
- Centech, in Arlington, VA
- DRS Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, in Palm Bay, FL
- Kollsman Inc. (an Elbit Systems of America company), in Merrimack, NH
- L-3 Government Services Inc., in Washington, DC
- L-3 Communication Systems West, in Salt Lake City, UT
- Lucent Technologies, in Murray Hill, NJ
- Perot Systems, in Plano, TX
- Unisys Global Public Sector, in Reston, VA
- USIS, in Washington, DC
The Common Operational Picture (COP) is a command-and-control system that accepts inputs from cameras, intelligence and communications systems, and law enforcement databases. “The system will provide presentation of border sensor data, incursion alerts, fusion of sensor tracks, automated scene understanding, force tracking, and apprehension and identification data
The DHS estimate for the southern border portion of SBInet is $7.6 billion through 2011, including fencing, ground sensors, radar, cameras and command, control and communications equipment, according to a report issued last week by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
In related news, Texas Gov. Rick Perry praised the progress of the state’s radio communications capabilities, this week. Local officials worked with the state’s 24 regional councils of government to help Texas reach a key milestone to achieve level four radio interoperability throughout Texas by January 2007.
The SAFECOM program under DHS says level four radio interoperability allows fire fighters, emergency medical responders, police officers, deputy sheriffs and state troopers to go anywhere in the state and have immediate radio communications with each other using their own equipment on established channels. M/A-Com P-25 radios are among the vendors used in New York State’s first responder network.
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