Border Fence Technology Works, Not A PanaceaBorder Fence Technology Works, Not A Panacea

Technology used on a section of border fence in Arizona works just fine, according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. It just needs to be supplemented, he said.

Chertoff testified before Congress this week. He explained that a 28-mile portion of a fence on the border of the United States and Mexico helps border patrols but is "not a panacea."

DHS has deployed technology, including radar, to beef up security along that portion of the border fence in Arizona. The section, labeled Project 28, or P-28, is intended to be a prototype to test the department's ability to integrate several technologies into a unified system, he said. The $21 million project by Boeing drew fire from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which said the technology experienced software and communications problems. GAO also said camera images from the fence are fuzzy.

"There has been some confusion about the purpose of the P-28 prototype and its role in the department's larger efforts at the border," Chertoff told the House Judiciary Committee during a hearing this week. "Allow me to put P-28 into its appropriate context. P-28 was designed to be a demonstration of critical technologies and system integration under the broader [Secure Border Initiative]... After successful field testing, we formally accepted P-28 from Boeing on February 21st of this year. We have a system that is operational and has already assisted in identifying and apprehending more than 2,000 illegal aliens trying to cross the border since December."

Nevertheless, Chertoff said different parts of the border require different protection strategies.

"Accordingly, we are building upon lessons learned to develop a new border-wide architecture that will incorporate upgraded software, mobile surveillance systems, unattended ground sensors, unmanned and manned aviation assets, and an improved communication system to enable better connectivity and system performance," he said.

Additional technology along other parts of the border, as well as the northern border with Canada, will include unmanned aerial surveillance. It also will include mobile surveillance systems on the ground. Chertoff said DHS will add at least 2,500 ground sensors to the 7,500 sensors that already have been installed. DHS has requested $775 million during the 2009 fiscal year to fund the technology, he said.