American Border Patrol Demonstrates Border Technology For U.S. Senate Candidates

HEREFORD, Ariz., July 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- An electronic border security system recently used to detect drones will be demonstrated by American Border Patrol (ABP) for U.S. Senate candidates on Saturday, July 7th, at a test site at the Arizona/Mexico border. Three of the five listed Arizona candidates have said they will attend the demonstration.

The system, called SEIDARM, was recently used with a special sensor called MAUI to detect a small, unmanned aerial system (sUAS) – or drone - crossing the "border."

A video of the June 21st demonstration of SEIDARM MAUI at the AFWERX FUSION event in Las Vegas is shown here:

https://youtu.be/MAsiYzK6z6E  

The seriousness of the threat of border drones was underlined by a July 4 Washington Post opinion piece by Homeland Security Chief Kirstjen M. Nielsen:

The U.S. isn't prepared for the growing threat of drones
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-us-isnt-prepared-for-the-growing-threat-of-drones/2018/07/04/30cc2a76-7eef-11e8-b9f0-61b08cdd0ea1_story.html?utm_term=.535bd4247288

Saturday's demonstration will show exactly where the MAUI sensor detected the sUAS. Live demonstrations of SEIDARM including MAUI may be set for a later date.

During Saturday's demonstration, SEIDARM will direct drones called HERMES to intercept people and vehicles along a one-mile stretch of sensors.

SEIDARM can detect one person walking at five hundred feet, compared to 40 feet for existing Border Patrol ground sensors. It can distinguish between people, vehicles and aircraft. The system is buried and solar-powered and can provide seamless protection on the entire border - at a small fraction of the cost of a wall.

"This technology does not necessarily replace a real wall, but it can perform like a stop-gap virtual fence until a real wall is ready by assuring detection of all intrusions," ABP president Glenn Spencer said. "And," Spencer added, "it can tell the where a real physical barrier is needed most – and how it is working once installed." The technology can provide a long-sought-after metric of border security, Spencer said.

The demonstration will run from 10 AM to 11 AM on Saturday, July 7, at:

American Border Patrol Test Range
11720 S. Border Monument Rd.
Hereford, Arizona 85615

The system was recently featured on Michelle Malkin Investigates.

This video of a test of the system on December 11, 2017, shows detection of one person walking 500 feet from a line of SEIDARM sensors:

https://youtu.be/v0DqUkIc_0I Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAsiYzK6z6EVideo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAsiYzK6z6EVideo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAsiYzK6z6E

Attendance is limited to members of the press and invited guests.

SOURCE American Border Patrol