Posted on 10/17/2007 6:52:53 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
TUCSON, Ariz. – Defense contractor Boeing Co. has told the government it believes it has solved most of the problems that have delayed use of the first section of a high-tech “virtual fence” along the nation's borders for months.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, however, said they'll wait until acceptance testing now set for late October is done before passing judgment. The 28-mile section of fence along the U.S.-Mexico border in southern Arizona is the first of thousands of miles planned on the nation's southern and northern borders.
Boeing personnel who briefed federal officials “sounded real optimistic” about the fixes, said Brad Benson, a Customs and Border Protection spokesman in Washington. “I have talked to Border Patrol personnel, and they weren't quite that optimistic.”
Operation of the nine 98-foot towers north of the Arizona-Mexico border near the port of entry at Sasabe has been delayed for at least four months because of computer software glitches.
Loaded with sensors, radar and sophisticated cameras, the towers are designed to detect illegal immigrants and drug smugglers coming through the heavily trafficked area southwest of Tucson.
The $20 million virtual fence pilot project remains on hold because software designed to integrate the results of sensor hits, radar readings and camera sightings wasn't working correctly. A glitch in the programming has kept it from providing a common operating picture for agents, who plan to use it to spot and capture illegal entrants and smugglers.
Because of that, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told a Congressional committee last month that he would withhold further payment to Boeing, the prime contractor, and declined to accept the system until he was satisfied.
He called acceptance testing “a little bit like buying a car. We didn't want to get stuck with a lemon,” he testified.
That testing is now set for the last week in October, Benson said.
The virtual fence is being tested first in Arizona, the focal point for illegal crossings into the United States from Mexico. But plans call for installing 1,800 such towers along both the Mexican and Canadian borders.
Benson said Border Patrol agents have employed some of the towers' equipment to assist in apprehensions of illegal immigrants. But that doesn't mean all systems are functioning in an integrated manner or that agents are seeing one common picture as intended, he said.
“There's some usefulness there, but it's still not there,” Benson said.
Even if the system passes, other tests may follow, and other faults may crop up during operation.
“Our guys have said the true test of whether we're accepting it is whether the Border Patrol is using it,” Benson said. “It's not ready for prime time. We still have a little way to go.”
April 15th is coming. I hope they like my virtual tax payment.
In other news, Mexico reports runs on wire cutters and chewing gum.
I’m just curious how much testing a wall takes.
That about sums it up!
You are so funny. I love your posts.
ping
There’s no humor here. I take this serious. I’m doing some testing and hope to be ready with my virtual payment by April 15th. If not, I’m sure four to six months delay won’t be a problem.
;-)
You take care.
it will stop virtual trespassers
A sense of humor keeps you sane.
Maybe the terrorists and Mexicans will do us a favor and send computer-generated “avatars” across the border, so that the “virtual fence” can stop them. On the other hand, they’ll probably just fall in with a hundred other people and “rush” straight through the invisible protective barrier.
Why not test it out first, to make sure it works.
Around the White House!
Whassup with this VIRTUAL crap? I like the medieval stuff way better....
They just don't make fences like they used to..I don't get it....
And why do we have all these UAV's ABROAD, but not HERE? I mean it's oringinally a RECON platform. And it's reliable, cheap, persistent, sensitive, discrete...PERFECT for our southern border.
There should be SWARMS of them buzzing around down there. I mean now ONE operator can fly like 3 of them AT THE SAME TIME, thereby covering thousands of square miles...truly amazing. And at night, the jobs gets EASIER --the things have super sensitive FLIRS that turn night into day, and with a SNIPR pod that thing can be up at 20,000 feet, and the picture will be like it's right down on the ground with Jose and the nuke-toting Ahmed with the prayer rug...
Logistically border enforcement is easier than ever at precisely the time that between 5,000 and 10,000 invaders cross or border EVERY NIGHT.
The problem with a virtual fence is that all it does is let you know how many are coming across. You still have to have the will to stop them. Even if we have the will for a little while, does anyone actually believe that HRC will have the border patrol do anything other than wave at the illegals as our sensors sense them.
Exactly....now they will at least have an accurate count of all those they aren't catching....for all that is worth.
It would seem that sufficient precedent has been set:
"Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told a Congressional committee last month that he would withhold further payment to Boeing, the prime contractor, and declined to accept the system until he was satisfied."
Virtual fences (alone) are for virtual idiots.
Note that there is a very real fence around the Whitehouse.
I’m not sure it’s helped me that way, but you’re free to be the judge.
;-)
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