For those of you hoping for hordes of drones and blimps to start patrolling the Mexican and Canadian borders, there’s bad news this morning. “After a face-off among large military contractors, the Boeing Company was picked by the Homeland Security Department to lead a high-tech effort to secure borders,” the Times reports. And unlike proposals from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and others, Boeing’s plan for the Secure Border Initiative, or SBInet, doesn’t rely that much on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or airships.
“Boeing’s proposal relied heavily on a network of 1,800 towers, most of which would need to be erected along the borders with Mexico and Canada. Each tower would be equipped with a variety of sensors, including cameras and heat and motion detectors,” the Washington Post notes. Boeing teamed up for the project with an Israeli company that built a bunch of the imaging equipment used in Israel’s controversial fence along the West Bank. That gear, Boeing said, would be less risky and expensive than UAVs or airships — even though both have been used to watch over southern Arizona for illegals.
But, not to worry: the Times says that there are still a few drones in the Boeing plan — “small, relatively inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles that can be launched from a pickup truck by an agent in the field and then fly for, perhaps, 90 minutes.” I’m guessing the paper means these drones here.
“Homeland Security has been criticized harshly in recent years for initiatives that have either failed or far exceeded their budgets. In one case, cameras that the department installed on the borders broke down in bad weather,” the Post observes.
“The administration has spent $429 million of the taxpayer’s money to try and secure our borders with two already-abandoned border security programs,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss). He expressed concern that the same thing will happen to SBInet.
Mindful of that record, Boeing emphasized that all its technology has been proven to work. “The low-risk approach is probably going to carry weight here.”
“The contract will at least initially be much more limited than some industry officials had expected, valued at $80 million instead of the $2 billion estimate given for the six-year deal,” the Times writes.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Since border monitoring kit will operate within sovereign U.S. territory, why shouldn’t Boeing emphasize sensor towers over UAVs? Its not like the border is going anywhere or the towers will be susceptible to enemy fire. A towers approach will probably cost less in terms of fuel and maintenance than a UAV-heavy approach.
I know UAVs are pretty sweet, but they were originally designed to operate in hostile or distant terrain. Boeing would be smart to replace any CBP chase planes or helos along the southern border with UAVs though.
Robot.Economist
For the same reason why they release GPS to the public section. The more you buy, the cheaper it gets to build it.. the more you can test the technology out to perfect it.
The future of American warefare is these drones. Would lessen the need for soldiers to patrol, gives washington more control to make decisions.
However, UAV’s don’t see everything. You might be fighting the border war soon similar to the vietnam war. Get ready to start calling the mexicians ‘diggers’
I was hoping for a bunch of Airships…But after reading…Boeings plan does sound like the best one. I assume that ever tower will have multiple camera…as well as an infared camera. But what about tunnels…since thats how they get the majority of drugs into the US.
I know Ground Penetrating radar exists…But I think it needs to be draged behind a vehicle on a sled, But maybe they could buy a dozen or so of these and do a minimum of one sweep per week.(?)
QUESTION – is there any way an aircraft can see a couple dozen feet underground? Then we could just have one Global Hawk do constant “sweeps” along the border to check for tunnels…If of course this is possible.
Boeing’s idea appears to be alot more permanent, feasible and reliable then some blimps floating around. Alot of blimps and drones means alot more work and money to keep them up. Good choice.
The key to the system are the monitors and the rules of engagement they have to work under. One time Mexican immigrants are a threat and Fox is anti-American, and the next time Fox is a key ally in trade and defense and Mexican immigrants are a necessity in maintaining rasonable customer retail pricing on goods and services. This country has to get its’ act together and rule one way or the other and live with the consequences. The Great Wall of China failed not because of technology, but because border guards could be bribed to let the invading hordes through. Today, our enforcement officials can’t do their job because certain politicians are willing to sleep with the enemy when it is convenient to their goals. We have to develop a backbone and say what we mean and do what we say without backpedaling.
I think that the best way to secure our southern border is to build a small guage railway and put
a number of robots with a variety of sensors on it
to monitor events such as IR, motion detection,aerial observation, visual cams, starlight capability and perhaps even
ground penetrating radar capability as well.
Each robot cart would have a set distance to patrol on the track, and I think that each cart should be programmed to overlap the territory of the cart on either side of it.
The only question is how far inside our border should it be built?
I really feel that this would be the most cost effective, and easily maintained way to secure our southern border.
I wonder how hard the posts are to knock out? Probably about as easy as the little robots on tracks. Be alot harder to mess with a flying drone and troops on the ground.
How about the tried and true method time tested very effective throughout the last century? The minefield.
I would not be surprised some morning to find the Star of David or the Mexican flag flying above this White House
We go all the way to the west.And called Manifesdesteni.
Now they are coming all the way to the east.And they also call tha Manifesdestiny?
What is good for the goose is also good for the ganders.
I’d hate to say it but the minefield option, while somewhat inhumane does sound mighty enticing…..
Remember the days of tresspassers will be shot , and tresspassers will be prossacuted, I’m sorry given medical treatment, cleaned and a hot meal. with this high tech we can put it on tv to show the whole world at 6 each night. or we could make it scary as hell to those people wanting to come into the US. kind of like an a americian crossing into mexico with out going thru the right proceedures and finding one’s self in mexico’s finist jails with no to little hope of getting out. Me, I say if you cant come thru the gate your going to get shot. WE welcome anybody who is going to contribute to this great country of dissplaced people.Oh yes mines work too.
I was over in Israel this summer and the towers all around Gaza seem to have done a great job… They are constantly looking at every angle, and no one can get through without getting shot