The $20 Million prototype effort to create a virtual fence along the Arizona-Mexico border has been scrapped. This deployed sensor-web technology did not live up to its promise, failing to adequately alert border patrol agents about illegal crossings.
The fence was dubbed Project 28 by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), referring to the 28-mile section of border southwest of Tucson. The lead contractor on this prototype effort is The Boeing Corp., who won a $860 Million contract from the DHS for technology, physical fences and vehicle barriers for border security.
While the sensors on 9 towers did alert to illegal crossings, it was only capturing a fraction of the illegal traffic in the area. A new system with 17 towers will replace the prototype. DHS is also spending at least $45 million (€28 million) on a computer program to quickly feed the sensor information to Border Patrol agents.
