First Mobile Sensor Tower Arrives In Arizona

U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the installation of the first mobile sensor tower as part of its SBI net integrated technology on the border. Nine towers will be used in “Project 28,” the initial phase of SBI net along a 28-mile stretch of the Arizona border. Each integrated mobile sensor tower houses cameras, radars, wireless data access points, communications and computer equipment, and a tower security system.

Project 28 will link the 98-foot high tower located near Sasabe, Ariz., with eight additional towers. When combined with vehicle modifications, the towers will provide surveillance data to a Common Operating Picture, a critical component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's comprehensive border security solution.

“The arrival of this mobile tower brings us another step closer to an integrated deployment of technology that will help equip Border Patrol agents with the information they need to gain effective control of the border,” said W. Ralph Basham, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “The Sasabe area is a high priority for the Border Patrol due to the substantial flow of illegal entries and the lack of existing technology and infrastructure.”

When combined with the Common Operating Picture and agent vehicle upgrades, the towers will allow the Border Patrol to detect, identify and track entries into the U.S. when they occur. SBI net is on schedule to deliver enhanced situational awareness and increased mission effectiveness by mid-June to Border Patrol agents in the Sasabe area.

The Secure Border Initiative is a comprehensive multi-year plan to secure America's borders and reduce illegal immigration. SBI net is a component of that effort that will integrate critical areas such as personnel, infrastructure, technologies, and rapid response capability into a systems approach to border protection.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.