Towers along Arizona-Mexico border provide around-the-clock surveillance
Dec 19, 2018, 4:22 AM | Updated: 11:29 am
(Elbit Systems of America Photo)
(Elbit Systems of America Photo)
PHOENIX — A company producing surveillance towers for federal agents along Arizona’s southern border with Mexico said its technology is proving to be effective.
Elbit Systems of America has 55 towers deployed along the Arizona border. They’re part of the integrated fixed towers system.
Gordon Kesting, the company’s vice president of homeland security solutions, said the system provides around-the-clock surveillance using radars and cameras that are mounted on the towers. It allows Border Patrol agents stationed in command centers to detect activity coming over the border.
“The agents are able to then use the system with the cameras to see what the activity is in detail that’s coming at them, so that they can deploy the appropriate response,” he said.
The first towers went up in 2014 and now cover 200 linear miles of the border. They’re deployed in several Arizona cities, including Nogales, Douglas and Sonoita.
Kesting said the towers provide 360-degree of persistent surveillance and that amounts to several thousand square miles of area coverage.
“This has been a successful project that shows that the border can be secured using technology,” he said. “It can also work in conjunction with physical barriers that are being talked about.”
He added his company can provide further deployment of the technology “in fairly short order should those decisions be made.”
