FORT WORTH, TEXAS, March 31, 2016 – Elbit Systems of America, LLC, announced today that its Integrated Fixed Towers (IFT) border surveillance system was certified by the Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol to Congress as meeting its operational requirements. This decision is based on review of test results and agent feedback from the first deployment in Nogales, Arizona which confirmed the system adds significant surveillance capability at the border; thereby, increasing situation awareness and agent safety. As part of the 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act, certification of the first IFT deployment was required in order to proceed with further deployments. With the certification now complete, the program can proceed with the deployment of IFT in the Douglas Area of Responsibility (AoR) which commenced in the first week of March. This also opens the door for further deployments based on future needs and requirements across the southern Arizona border in line with CBP’s Arizona Technology Deployment Plan.
According to Acting Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol Ronald Vitiello, the certification, based on a review of “test results and agent feedback, confirms that the IFT system adds surveillance capability, increasing situational awareness and officer safety.”
The IFT provides Border Patrol Agents long-range, 360-degree, all-weather, persistent surveillance capability. The system provides agents a high degree of situation awareness along the border by assisting them in identifying and classifying “items of interest” and coordinating an appropriate response, while also contributing to agent safety.
“We are pleased that the Acting Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol has certified that IFT meets its operational requirements. We are ready to proceed with additional deployments of this important technology which contributes to the operational effectiveness and safety of Border Patrol Agents as well as the security of the country,” commented Raanan Horowitz, president and chief executive officer of Elbit Systems of America. “This important milestone was achieved by working closely with many stakeholders, including Border Patrol and others within the CBP, and aligns with our commitment to being a key partner for U.S. Homeland Security border security solutions. We have a proven history delivering integrated solutions and a long-term strategic focus on providing the latest technologies to solve the most difficult of problems for our customers.”
As the prime contractor, Elbit Systems of America integrates state-of-the-art sensors with a robust and flexible command and control backbone, man-machine interface specifically adopted to the border patrol operational needs to ensure a high degree of reliability in the demanding desert environment of the southwest border. The Nogales AoR system, in 24/7 operation since August 2015, provides Border Patrol Agents a high level of operational availability for increased awareness, exceeding contract requirements. As part of the integrated solution, Elbit Systems of America also provides on-site support for the Nogales command center and full logistics support for the entire IFT system.