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June 2012 Volume 1, Issue 1
Michael J. Fisher Chief U.S. Border Patrol U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Leadership Insight: Robert S. Bray Assistant Administrator for Law Enforcement Director of the Federal Air Marshal Service Transportation Security Administration
Wide Area Aerial Surveillance O Hazmat Disaster Response Tactical Communications O P-3 Program
Introducing
Border & CBRNE Defense
Supporting those who defend our borders.
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Border & CBRNE Defense
June 2012 Volume 1 • Issue 1
Cover / Q&A
Features Leadership Insight: TSA Q&A with Robert S. Bray, Assistant Administrator for Law Enforcement/ Director of the Federal Air Marshal Service (AFAMS) within the Transportation Security Administration, discussing AFAMS mission to detect, deter and defeat hostile acts targeting U.S. air carriers, airports, passengers and crews.
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Hazmat Disaster Response First responders need to be at the top of their game when hazardous materials spill, leak, explode or otherwise create dangerous situations. Learn how they mitigate the risk of a hazmat situation. By H.R. Hogan
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17 Special Section: Integrated Fixed Towers
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IFT is a Customs Border and Protection strategy to rapidly acquire non-developmental systems to support border protection efforts. The technology combines with other resources and capabilities, notably personnel, infrastructure and intelligence, to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of our border protection efforts. By Peter Buxbaum
Tactical Communications
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Interview with John Santo, executive director, DHS Joint Wireless Program, about the Department of Homeland Security’s recently awarded $3 billion IDIQ contract for tactical communications to support the entire department, along with the White House, Interior, Justice and State departments.
Counter Drug Operations
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CBP OAM P-3s have been an integral part of the successful counternarcotic missions operating in coordination with the Joint Interagency Task Force – South. Lothar Eckhardt, the executive director of National Air Security Operations, participates in an exclusive interview. By Brian O’Shea
Eyes Over Borders
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How Customs and Border Protection is utilizing technology, manpower and equipment to better protect our nation’s borders. The Department of Homeland Security hopes to make two to three firm-fixed-price awards for demonstration of a wide area aerial surveillance system (WAASS). WAASS’s primary objective is persistent, long-term surveillance of urban and rural terrain of at least 16 square kilometers. By Henry Canaday
Michael J. Fisher Chief U.S. Border Patrol U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Departments 2 Editor’s Perspective 3 Frontline News 14 Security Watch 27 Resource Center
Industry Interview
28 Lou Banks BioSurveillance Marketing Manager Idaho Technology Inc.
Border & CBRNE Defense Volume 1, Issue 1 • June 2012
Border Threat Prevention and CBRNE Response Editorial Editor Brian O’Shea briano@kmimediagroup.com Managing Editor Harrison Donnelly harrisond@kmimediagroup.com Online Editorial Manager Laura Davis laurad@kmimediagroup.com Copy Editor Laural Hobbes lauralh@kmimediagroup.com Correspondents H.R. Hogan • Henry Canaday • Peter Buxbaum
Art & Design Art Director Jennifer Owers jennifero@kmimediagroup.com Senior Graphic Designer Jittima Saiwongnuan jittimas@kmimediagroup.com Graphic Designers Amanda Kirsch amandak@kmimediagroup.com Scott Morris scottm@kmimediagroup.com Kailey Waring kaileyw@kmimediagroup.com
Advertising Associate Publisher Charles Weimer charlesw@kmimediagroup.com
KMI Media Group Publisher Kirk Brown kirkb@kmimediagroup.com Chief Executive Officer Jack Kerrigan jack@kmimediagroup.com Chief Financial Officer Constance Kerrigan connik@kmimediagroup.com Executive Vice President David Leaf davidl@kmimediagroup.com Editor-In-Chief Jeff McKaughan jeffm@kmimediagroup.com Controller Gigi Castro gcastro@kmimediagroup.com Administrative Assistant Casandra Jones casandraj@kmimediagroup.com Trade Show Coordinator Holly Foster hollyf@kmimediagroup.com
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE As many publishing companies are decreasing the size and scope of their coverage, I am thrilled that KMI Media Group is expanding its family of publications spotlighting military and federal agency operations and technologies. Border & CBRNE Defense (BCD) focuses on homeland security and counterterrorism efforts including mitigating chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats along our northern and southwest borders and ports throughout the U.S. BCD coverage includes all military support operations, disaster response, first responders and other federal agencies—including U.S. Customs and Border Protection Brian O’Shea Editor (CBP), Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration—that collaborate to ensure our country’s safety from hostile intrusion. Whether it’s the Secretary of Homeland Security working to reduce cybercrime, which Janet Napolitano said represents the “greatest threat and actual activity that we have seen aimed at the West and at the United States,” or CBP working to promote and enhance supply chain security in their regions under the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism initiative, there are very real threats out there. These threats pose a danger to our nation that you may not necessarily see on the front page of mainstream media. Federal agencies and the U.S. military are doing everything they can and working with private industry to mitigate these threats. You may have noticed that another of KMI Media Group’s publications has changed its name from Military Medical/CBRN Technology to Military Medical & Veterans Affairs Forum (M2VA). M2VA will continue to cover military medical issues, but will take more of a focus on the Department of Veterans Affairs. The CBRNE aspect will now be covered within BCD, as keeping CBRNE threats out of our country’s borders is a high priority. If you have any questions regarding Border & CBRNE Defense, feel free to contact me at any time.
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June 2012 Volume 1, Issue 1
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FRONTLINE NEWS
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
TSA Announces Testing of Document Verification Technologies The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced it began testing new technologies designed to enhance TSA’s ability to identify altered or fraudulent passenger identification documents and boarding passes at Washington Dulles International Airport. The technology will also be tested at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in the coming weeks. In October, 2011, TSA awarded limited contracts to BAE Systems Information Solutions Inc., Trans-Digital Technologies LLC, and NCR Government Systems LLC to provide pilot testing of fraudulent document detection technology to a limited number of airports. Each selected airport will receive a total of six detection units, two units from each vendor. TSA will expand the deployment schedule following successful implementation and testing in the selected airport environments. “The piloting of this technology is another milestone in TSA’s ongoing risk-based security initiative,” said TSA Administrator John S. Pistole. “The ability to efficiently and effectively identify
fraudulent identity documents and authenticate boarding passes has the potential to not only improve security but also the checkpoint experience for passengers.” This technology, known as Credential Authentication Technology-Boarding Pass Scanning Systems (CAT-BPSS), will scan a passenger’s boarding pass and photo ID, and then automatically verify that the names provided on both documents match and authenticate the boarding pass. The technology also identifies altered or fraudulent photo IDs by analyzing and comparing security features embedded in the IDs. This system supports TSA’s efforts to enhance the passenger screening experience by moving toward a more risk-based, intelligence-driven counterterrorism approach. TSA’s risk-based security measures focus its resources on those passengers that it knows the least about. TSA began testing CAT-BPSS at the TSA Systems Integration Facility in 2011 and continues to test the latest technologies available—expanding efforts to address evolving threats and improve the passenger screening experience.
Vendor Named For Homeland Security AT&T Government Solutions has been selected as a prime vendor under the Tactical Communications Equipment and Services (TacCom) contract. The TacCom contract, administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is a multiple award contract with an overall value of $3 billion and a base contract period of two years and three, one-year options. The TacCom contract provides DHS and its component agencies a cost-effective contract vehicle to purchase a wide range of tactical communications products, infrastructure and services to support public safety communications for first responders. As a prime vendor, AT&T can compete against other vendors for individual awards from DHS and its component agencies. AT&T was awarded a position in all five functional categories under the TacCom contract, including Subscriber Units, Infrastructure, Infrastructure Services, O&M Services, and Test Equipment. AT&T understands the critical role network assets and tactical communication products and services play for public sector agencies, especially in an emergency. Recently, DHS announced that AT&T is the first private sector company to attain certification under the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep). PS-Prep is a voluntary program of accreditation and certification of private entities using standards adopted by DHS that promote private sector preparedness, including disaster management, emergency management and business continuity programs. The standards were announced by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano in June 2010. The program is part of DHS’ implementation of recommendations by the 9/11 Commission to improve private sector preparedness for disasters and emergencies. AT&T achieved the certification following months of rigorous audits that measured the company’s ability to manage and maintain operations during emergencies. www.BCD-kmi.com
NORAD and USNORTHCOM Conduct Ardent Sentry 2012 The North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command conducted a major exercise, Ardent Sentry 2012, focused on Defense Support of Civil Authorities, May 2-9, 2012. The exercise was primarily a command post exercise, but there were field training events within the exercise. Those events took place in North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Alaska, Connecticut and Nova Scotia and involved United States and Canadian military units. • North Dakota: The Air Force Global Strike Command responded to a simulated nuclear weapons incident on Minot Air Force Base. • Oregon: The Oregon National Guard worked with state and local officials to respond to numerous weather-related and security events. • Texas: U.S. Army North deployed a task force to work through the process of leading a military response to a major hurricane. • Alaska: Joint Task Force-Alaska conducted a coordinated response to a major aircraft crash in a remote area. • Nova Scotia: Canadian and U.S. Naval forces worked together to handle a security related event.
BCD 1.1 | 3
LEADERSHIP INSIGHT
Robert S. Bray Assistant Administrator for Law Enforcement Director of the Federal Air Marshal Service Transportation Security Administration Q: What is your role in the Transportation Security Administration’s [TSA] objective to detect, deter and defeat hostile acts targeting U.S. air carriers, airports, passengers and crews? A: I became the TSA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Law Enforcement, director of the Federal Air Marshal Service [FAMS] in June 2008. I began my career with FAMS on May 5, 2003, as the assistant special agent in charge of the Mission Operations Center at the Federal Aviation Administration Technical Center in Atlantic City, N.J. In November 2003, I was appointed the deputy assistant director for the Office of Training and Development and subsequently selected as the assistant director, Office of Security Services and Assessments in March 2006. My role as director of the FAMS is to direct the strategic deployment of federal air marshals onboard domestic and international flights as well as coordinate additional federal air marshal law enforcement duties in the transportation domain. As TSA’s assistant administrator, director of the Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service [OLE/FAMS], I take great pride in supporting our workforce and its ability to effectively provide counterterrorism and investigative operations throughout the nation. The men and women of FAMS continually provide support to federal, state and local law enforcement organizations throughout the world, and are called upon to assist with incidents of national significance. The dedication, sacrifice and professionalism of our workforce cannot be overstated. As an assistant administrator of the TSA, I serve as a senior adviser to the assistant secretary and deputy administrator on matters affecting the strategic and operational direction of TSA in all areas of law enforcement and security operations, programs, policies, infrastructure and internal processes. I provide advice and direction on department and agency wide goals and priorities with other TSA senior leadership. I believe my most important role is providing the FAMS workforce with the support and leadership necessary to enable every member of our organization to perform their duties to the optimal level. Q: Can you provide an overview of some recent successes by TSA’s FAMS? A: Today’s FAMS is a highly trained, professional federal law enforcement organization charged with securing the nation’s civil aviation system and transportation domain from both criminal and terrorist acts. Under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act [ATSA] and the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, TSA has broad responsibility to enhance security in all modes of transportation nationwide. Federal air marshals are part of a nationwide transportation security program that serves all modes of transportation. Sky marshals, now referred to as federal air marshals, have successfully completed missions onboard U.S. air carriers since the 1960s. Currently, federal air marshals operate as the last line of defense in TSA’s risk-based security approach. 4 | BCD 1.1
FAMS prides itself on being the sole law enforcement organization within the United States that is not only dedicated to the safety and security of the traveling public, but also able to deploy assets domestically and internationally at a moment’s notice. The extent of federal air marshal domestic capabilities was evident from our rapid response to natural disasters including Hurricanes Katrina and Ike. Additionally, our ability to deploy assets onboard aircraft internationally was proven when we effectively deployed assets in response to the liquid explosives plot in August 2006 and the December 25, 2009, failed improvised explosive device attack onboard NW Flight 253. Q: Can you elaborate on the training federal air marshals receive as far as investigative techniques, criminal terrorist behavior recognition, firearms proficiency, aircraft specific tactics, and close quarters selfdefense measures to protect the flying public? A: Federal air marshals receive approximately 16 weeks of intense training upon being hired. Federal air marshals attend a Federal Law Enforcement Training Center [FLETC] basic course, which is a hybrid of the FLETC Criminal Investigator Training Program and the FLETC Uniformed Police Training Program. Upon successful completion of the basic course, federal air marshals attend a second phase of training at the FAMS training center in Atlantic City. During this phase, federal air marshals receive advanced law enforcement training including behavior recognition, explosives training, interview techniques, defensive measures and tactics specific to the transportation domain. Our training also includes advanced firearms training required as a result of FAMS having the highest qualification standards within federal law enforcement. Upon completion of initial training, federal air marshals train regularly at local field offices and in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement partners. Our offices are equipped with modern technology and aircraft simulators, enabling our personnel to stay up-to-date on tactics and self-defense measures while working in the unique aircraft environment. This technology and training enables federal air marshals to respond to the ongoing threats posed by terrorists. Q: How do federal air marshals work with other law enforcement agencies to accomplish their mission? A: The Federal Air Marshal Service works in cooperation with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in various aspects of counterterrorism to successfully carry out our mission. OLE/FAMS partners with domestic and international agencies to share and discuss best practices in training, intelligence gathering and sharing, canine training, technology and threat assessments. Active participation and partnership with other law enforcement agencies has proven successful in thwarting criminal and terroristic behavior. Federal air marshals are embedded in multiple FBI joint terrorism task forces and are aligned with other federal law enforcement organizations, including Customs and Border Protection. www.BCD-kmi.com
Following the Madrid train bombing, TSA developed the Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response [VIPR] program to allow TSA security and law enforcement assets to augment federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in the transportation domain. VIPR teams provide a full range of law enforcement and security capabilities and work in cooperation with local authorities to provide an additional security presence during specific alert periods or special events. VIPR teams have been extremely successful in serving as deterrents to mitigate evolving threats. Since the beginning of the program, TSA VIPR teams have successfully completed more than 26,000 operations nationwide. FAMS understands the importance of having strong working relationships with international stakeholders to combat terrorism. To maintain open communication and best practices, FAMS hosted the 2012 International In-Flight Security Officer conference. The conference was attended by 23 international air marshals, representing nine countries. The focus of the conference was explosives, explosive effects and countermeasures. U.S. federal air marshal instructors served as subject matter experts who worked alongside transportation security specialist-explosives [TSS-E] to present best practices. Each participant shared positive sentiments at the conclusion of the conference. The collaboration and communication between
attendees were powerful reminders of shared air marshal missions and goals throughout the world. TSA OLE/FAMS’ mission is successfully carried out by strategically positioned field offices throughout the nation. Each local field office deploys federal air marshals to work in multi-modal positions. Federal air marshals work with local law enforcement agencies to augment security resources in an effort to provide visible deterrence and detection capabilities in rail, maritime, pipeline and mass transit environments. Federal air marshals are deployed onboard U.S. air carriers bound for domestic and international destinations. Q: Can you describe some of the programs to locate and identify dangerous materials that may present a threat to transportation systems? A: FAMS currently runs TSA’s K9 training facility located at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio. K9s trained in this program are deployed to state and local law enforcement organizations throughout the United States, in addition to providing TSA personnel throughout the transportation domain with an important tool to locate and identify dangerous materials. The TSA Canine Training and Evaluation Section within TSA, Office of Law Enforcement, FAMS, has expanded significantly over the
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BCD 1.1 | 5
years as a result of recommendations by the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security, the Security Baseline Working Group of the Aviation Security Advisory committee, and the events of September 11, 2001. The program is the largest explosives detection canine program in the federal government. TSA’s VIPR teams utilize preventative radiological nuclear detection [PRND] equipment to protect the public throughout the transportation domain. PRND equipment is used to detect gamma and neutron radiation in radioactive material. PRND tools are deployed to all VIPR teams for use in exercises and operations nationwide. The radioisotope identifier [RIID] utilized by the VIPR teams identifies specific radio nuclides present in radioactive material. RIID transfers radionuclide information to offsite technical experts to assist in adjudication. The technical expertise and support is provided by Customs and Border Protection’s Laboratories and Scientific Service. Q: Can you describe some of the challenges faced by TSA’s law enforcement? A: TSA’s Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service confronts new challenges daily. Terrorists continue to evolve and improve their use of technology, tactics and strategies, as recently noted by the failed attempt to modify an explosive device placed in underwear. In an effort to combat new and emerging threats, the law enforcement and intelligence communities must closely coordinate in order to stay a step ahead of our adversaries. OLE/FAMS utilizes information from its law enforcement partners and the intelligence community, via TSA’s Office of Intelligence and FAMS’ own Information Coordination Section, to ensure current and relevant intelligence is communicated and discussed prior to operational missions. Intelligence and law enforcement information gathered is closely reviewed and tactics and mission scheduling are reviewed, modified and executed to enhance the effectiveness and success of federal air marshals onboard aircraft. Expert intelligence analysis and proper training allow FAMS to have the greatest impact securing our nation’s transportation domain, despite having limited resources. Q: How do you foresee the law enforcement programs expanding over the next five years? A: The federal government faces a unique challenge with respect to managing resources within today’s economic environment. However, in fiscal year 2011, FAMS received a budget increase of approximately $100 million to hire several hundred more federal air marshals. This hiring initiative allowed us to enhance mission coverage and confirmed the important role FAMS plays in securing the nation’s transportation domain. I believe it is also an indication that our dedicated, professional workforce is well respected and a necessary element ensuring the safety of the traveling public. Additionally, Congress recently approved funding for several additional VIPR teams for some of our field offices. Though it has become evident that terrorists remain intent on attacking aircraft, I believe the enhancements to our VIPR program indicate that, as an organization, efforts to detect, deter and defeat terrorist activities cannot be onedimensional. I believe our law enforcement role within the transportation domain will continue to utilize resources as effectively as possible and remain flexible and adapt to any threat. Q: How are federal air marshals equipped to protect the flying public? 6 | BCD 1.1
A: Federal air marshals are law enforcement professionals, continuously trained to protect not only the flying public, but those within all modes of transportation. It should not be forgotten, that in addition to federal air marshals, TSA employs approximately 50,000 transportation security officers, 2,800 behavior detection officers, more than 460 bomb appraisal officers and thousands of federal flight deck officers [FFDOs]. This multi-layered approach to security ensures the greatest protection to the traveling public. The FFDO program is run exclusively by FAMS. Pilots who participate in the FFDO program do so strictly on a volunteer basis. Under the FFDO program, eligible flight crewmembers are authorized by TSA to use firearms to defend against an act of criminal violence or air piracy, in which an attempt is made to gain control of the aircraft. A flight crewmember may be a pilot, flight engineer or navigator assigned to the flight. In December 2003, President George W. Bush signed into legislation expanded program eligibility to include cargo pilots and certain other flight crewmembers. In February 2004, TSA began accepting applications online from cargo pilots and conducted a prototype class in April 2004. This followed a similar process used to establish the FFDO program for commercial passenger airline pilots. FFDOs are trained in use of firearms, use of force, legal issues, defensive tactics, the psychology of survival and program standard operating procedures. FFDO training is conducted in state-ofthe-art facilities at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center facility in Artesia, N.M. The training program is approximately 54 hours in length and is taught over a six-day period. At the completion of training, FFDOs are issued a TSA firearm and FFDO credentials. Q: Is there anything else you would like to say that I have not asked? A: The Federal Air Marshal Service has existed in its current state since shortly after September 11, 2001. Our employees are the most dedicated professionals I have ever worked with, who perform a difficult mission. When you think of FAMS, you think of the men and women operating in a semi-covert capacity onboard aircraft throughout the world. We recognize that the job these men and women do is the lifeblood of this organization and work to support them in every facet possible. Additionally, as with any organization, there are individuals behind the scenes that help to make the mission a success. Our mission support personnel are some of our most valuable assets. Without their assistance, we would cease to function as an effective organization and could not be successful in protecting the traveling public. Furthermore, the relationships that we have established with airline and airport stakeholders, as well as countless other transportation security partners, both domestically and internationally, have been instrumental in accomplishing our mission. Our partners play an integral role in securing the safety of the traveling public. Their experience is valued and respected and cannot be replaced. I should conclude by reiterating that the role of federal air marshals is one of many layers within TSA’s risk-based security program. We operate in conjunction with thousands of TSA employees, dedicated and charged with the mission of protecting the traveling public. Like a chain, any weak link can potentially lead to a break and threaten the safety and security of the traveling public. We work together to ensure all links are secure and reinforced. O www.BCD-kmi.com
Advances on multiple fronts. By H.R. Hogan BCD Correspondent
Most hazardous materials, or hazmat, responses involve everyday accidents: fuel or chemical spills from overturned trucks, natural gas leaks from ruptured lines, or mercury rolling free of containers. As head of the hazmat response team for the fire department of Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city and second busiest port, Troy Lilley has learned that approaching any of these seemingly known materials has to be done carefully.
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BCD 1.1 | 7
“You [must be] very cautious. It may look like water and may act like water by not evaporating, but it may not be water. It may be something that causes cancer 10 years down the road,” he said. Lilley added that hazmat response has come a long way in the last decade, thanks to evolving techniques and technology. With regard to the latter, he’s particularly pleased with federal grants for purchasing equipment suitable for hazards ranging from small to the largest of emergencies. Such gear can be used for everything from typical hazmat situations to cases where chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats are present. “I think it’s going to benefit the country,” Lilley said of this all-hazards approach.
Decontamination
First Line Technology’s FiberTect dry decontaminate wipe contains activated carbon and is used to clean up hazardous materials. [Photo courtesy of First Line Technology]
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With regard to hazmat response, one trend has been the development of new decontamination methods. Some eliminate water, which can spread a contaminant beyond an original problem area. Any water used must also eventually be cleansed, adding to the hazmat response burden. One dry decontaminate comes from First Line Technology of Chantilly, Va. The company makes wipes containing activated carbon, which offers advantages when cleaning up hazardous materials. “It absorbs at a high rate, and the activated carbon layer holds hazardous materials, preventing off-gassing,” said Randy Sakowitz, First Line Technology’s vice president. The company’s FiberTect wipes were originally developed for the military, and Sakowitz said that the only hazmat they don’t handle are high acid concentrations. The wipes, which sandwich activated carbon between two needle-punched cloth layers, can absorb material particulates down to a particular size. Sakowitz declined to specify it precisely but did indicate the particulate dimensions were microscopic. Another instance of a new decontaminate is DeconGel, which is from Honolulu-based CBI Polymers. A water soluble, peelable hydrogel, the product
is applied to a surface, where it binds to and encapsulates radioactive and chemical contaminants. At the low end, it removes 75 percent while at the high end the rate approaches 100 percent, with the amount removed depending on the contaminant itself. “DeconGel binds extremely well to metal contaminants like plutonium, mercury and beryllium, which typically show a higher removal rate compared to other peelable or strippable coatings,” said Shaun McCabe, president of CBI’s Asia Pacific Systems. The product has been used in Japan in the wake of the nuclear disaster. McCabe noted that it has performed well enough to be recommended for future nuclear and radiological decontamination. A third type of novel decontamination technology comes from Force 1 Decon of Riverside, Calif. The company makes a series of small volume aqueous and non-aqueous products that are packaged in a low footprint tactical decontamination solution. Mounting a lower visibility response can be an important consideration for those who need to deal with a hazardous material without attracting too much attention. “We did do some work with some Fortune 500 companies, and they specifically wanted the lower visibility version,” said Eric Abrahamson, president of the company.
Detection Decontamination is easier when the nature of the hazardous material is known. That takes detection, and the trend here is toward field instruments that can quickly determine hazmat composition. Aaron Gagnon is director of product management at Smiths Detection, which has its U.S. headquarters in Danbury, Conn. Gagnon said his company has a diverse portfolio of detection technologies, including X-ray millimeter wave, gas chromatograph mass spectrometry (GC-MS), Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). FTIR powers the company’s hazmat detection device, which has been modified extensively from its lab-bound cousins. www.BCD-kmi.com
“We’ve made it portable and easy to use and decontaminatable as well. The HazMatID is able to identify unknown materials in a matter of 30 seconds,” said Gagnon. In some of its hazmat identification products, Agilent Technologies of Santa Clara, Calif., uses GC-MS. The gas chromatograph separates an unknown into its constituents, and the mass spectrometry analyzes it. The key to making the process fast enough and the instrument small enough for field work lies in speeding up the gas chromatograph’s heat ramp. “We’re ten-fold faster than we were previously,” said Graham Robinett, GC/ MS product specialist in Agilent’s federal business sector. The resulting instrument is not handheld but is small enough to be in a mobile lab that can be deployed near a hazmat incident. Thus, it allows a gold standard in identification to be effectively available on site. Other identification products come from Thermo Fischer Scientific of Waltham, Mass. The company’s portable analytical instruments business unit has a line of scientific portable instruments based on Raman spectroscopy and FTIR. Both exploit vibrational spectroscopy to chemically fingerprint suspect materials, said Maura Fitzpatrick, senior director for safety and security products at Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments. The approach compares the recorded spectra to that of thousands of known substances, using peak location, height and width. This identifies a material with a high degree of accuracy in as little as 30 seconds. “One of the things that our instruments do that is somewhat unique for this type of handheld spectroscopybased equipment is that we’re able to tell you if it’s a mixture,” Fitzpatrick said. It can do this for materials of four or five components, she added. Like other companies, Thermo Fischer Scientific offers a reach back service, with experts standing by to analyze the readings from an unknown substance. The business unit’s biggest customer is the U.S. military. It also sells to hazmat response units inside and outside of the federal government. www.BCD-kmi.com
Tying It Together Finally, another technology advance is making hazmat response easier. Many detection instruments exist, but there is no standard for them to interoperate. Safe Environment Engineering of Valencia, Calif., has worked with the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Department of Homeland Security in attacking this problem. The company’s Life-line Interoperable Network Communicator attaches to almost any instrument. Together with an associated gateway and software, it offers a solution to a multitude of issues, not the least of which is the difficulty of reading instrument displays while suited up. “What the hazmat team is seeing in their instruments is shown in real-time in the back of the fire trucks and the hazmat team can act on that accordingly,” said David Lamensdorf, Safe Environment Engineering president. The data is secure, and the technique eliminates the need to broadcast information via the radio, which is subject to misinterpretation and eavesdropping. The technology has been used in a host of events. Since what is relayed is live data, the response time in the case of an incident is reduced. Even with these advances, though, further improvements are needed. In particular, the handling of suspect biological materials is difficult, in part because the detection technology is not yet up to the needs of hazmat responders. The Houston Fire Department’s Lilley would like to be able to definitively rule out anthrax or any other biological agent without having to wait days for a culture. However, that lack of a quick answer doesn’t keep him from doing his job. As he said, “We use our best educated guess with the tools that we have.” O
For more information, contact BCD Editor Brian O’Shea at briano@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.BCD-kmi.com.
BCD 1.1 | 9
SPECIAL SECTION
vice president for homeland security solutions at Elbit Systems of America. “On the operational side, they are looking for a proven system that will assist Border Patrol agents identify, classify and track items of interest. This allows agents to coordinate a proper response for a successful mission and, more importantly, their own personal safety.” In the aftermath The first block of IFT will place towers along the Arizonaof the 2001 terror attacks, Mexico border, “where it makes the most sense to have them,” said United States Customs and Border ProBorkowski. “The current RFP focuses on Arizona because that part tection developed a program called the Secure Borof the border is still hemorrhaging with traffic illegally der Initiative, a multifaceted, multi-billion-dollar entering between the ports of entry. The rest of the program that ranged from policy and low-tech fencing border is not as bad.” to high-tech surveillance systems and command, conRaytheon Company has extensive experience in trol, communications and intelligence technologies developing solutions for federal agencies to help mainunder a sub-program called SBInet. tain border security. SBInet was to build an integrated persistent sur“Raytheon is a leader in radar, command and conveillance system for the Southwest border from the trol, and tracking systems, and Raytheon has signifiground up. Two increments of SBInet were implecant experience integrating off-the-shelf technology mented on the Southwest border and have been workquickly and effectively in border and critical infrastrucing well there. ture protection systems,” said TJ Kennedy, director of But then SBInet ran into management and monMark Borkowski public safety and security at Raytheon Company. etary difficulty, and CBP came up with an alternative “One of the most critical benefits of improving the that would incorporate off-the-shelf technologies into level of border security through the deployment of a surveillance program to replace SBInet. The highsystems such as the Integrated Fixed Tower systems is end portion of that concept, which involves mountproviding greater safety for the Border Patrol agents ing radars and cameras on interlinked towers at key who are out there on the line,” said Kevin Stevens, locations along the border, has now emerged as the Homeland Security Strategy and Policy, Raytheon Integrated Fixed Towers program, or IFT. Company, and retired deputy chief, U.S. Border Patrol. The request for proposals for IFT is now on the The fixed towers allow the Border Patrol to “plant street with a contract award expected later this year. the flag” in key areas of operation so that smugglers Several companies are considering participating in the must shift their operations to areas where the Border program. Patrol can then react with transportable and mobile “Simultaneously with our dealing with the probJames Norton capabilities. Having the capability to detect activlems of SBInet,” related Mark Borkowski, CBP’s ity, identify and classify the threat early is key to a assistant commissioner in the Office of Technology safer, faster enforcement response by Border Patrol Innovation and Acquisition, “we were approached by agents. companies that told us they had systems that could “In areas where technology doesn’t provide this help us. They might not have everything we were level of situational awareness, Border Patrol agents looking for, but wouldn’t it be smarter to take an 80 typically respond to border intrusions with very little percent or 90 percent solution today?” That’s the route information and generally have to identify and classify CBP chose to take. the threat at the point of interdiction, which is too “The government is seeking a commercial offlate,” added Stevens. “If the agents are able to deterthe-shelf solution to detect, track, identify and classify mine what they are up against before they respond, activities at the nation’s Southwest border,” said James they will be in a much better position to determine Norton, vice president, Business Development for GenGordon Kesting how many agents are needed to respond and how they eral Dynamics C4 Systems Washington Operations. should arm or equip themselves for a safe and suc“It is essential that the solution be proven and rapidly cessful resolution of the event. They deserve no less, and if industry deployable.” can help get them this technology we will be performing a critical “The key theme we are hearing most often is CBP’s desire for service.” a non-developmental, off-the-shelf solution,” said Gordon Kesting, 10 | BCD 1.1
www.BCD-kmi.com
Prote cti the Securng our nat e Bo ion’ s rder Initia borders t tive hrou . gh
B
y Pe There are also other t BCD er Buxbau m Corre CBP programs in the works for spon dent the Southwest border—which would deploy mobile truck mounted radars and cameras, remote video surveillance systems, and unattended ground sensors—that are in control system various stages of development. that provides users with The concept behind IFT is to use radars and cameras to deliver situational awareness derived from a one-two punch to illegal border traffic. The radar would detect the data transmitted by those tower sensors. movement of objects of interest in the border area and cue the camThe SRI system, dubbed TerraSight, “presents critical eras to zoom in to take a closer look. information from widely distributed sensors in one three-dimensional “We expect to be able to identify and characterize the moving common operating picture,” said Mark Clifton, vice president of the objects,” said Borkowski. “Is it one person or a group of people? Are products and services division at SRI. “TerraSight has been deployed they carrying anything? This way we can tell border agents what to at over 300 sites in Afghanistan and Iraq. The tower sensors look out expect so that they can prioritize their responses.” over long distances to detect people coming and going, what they look General Dynamics faced many of the same challenges facing CBP like, and what they are doing. They operate in a similar environment with SBInet when it deployed the Rescue 21 system on behalf of the to the U.S. Southwest.” United States Coast Guard. The Rescue 21 system is a network of 32 TerraSight is able to take data transmitted from a Coast Guard sector command centers, 167 stations, variety of sensors and present the user with a picture and over 260 fixed towers located along U.S. waterways of the surroundings in a Google Earth-like view. “We and the shores of the Great Lakes, Hawaii, Guam, the can use data from any sensor that provides a georeferU.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Using direction enced location,” said Clifton. “This can include radar finding technologies and digital communications, the data and camera images from tower-mounted sensors Coast Guard is able to rapidly respond to emergency as well as data from unattended ground sensors and calls from mariners while coordinating with federal, images and video transmitted from unmanned aerial state and local law enforcement and first respondsystems.” ers. The system supports the Coast Guard’s home“Elbit has a long track record of providing border land security missions that include drug interdiction, security solutions in places like Israel,” said Kesting. defense readiness, marine environmental protection Mark Clifton “We have a proven architecture that would be able and law enforcement. to host all the sensing technologies for IFT radars “The integrated fixed towers had to be linked and cameras. All of these are tied together in a common operating across thousands of miles of shoreline to provide a seamless network,” picture.” said Norton. “All the sites were at different elevations, in varied terElbit’s architecture is built on commercial standards that allow rain and with radically different environmental conditions. At some for flexibility as to the sensors that are deployed on the system. sites, it was necessary for the towers to blend in with the surround“Sensor suppliers are starting to build systems based on these open ings, even if it meant making a tower look like a tree, or part of a standards,” said Kesting. “We are in a position to provide a solution lighthouse.” that meets current needs and evolves or grows with the mission or Rescue 21 was initiated to replace the Coast Guard’s legacy as threats change. The open system architecture allows various techNational Distress and Response System. Improvements implemented nologies to be plugged in as needed. These are the capabilities most by Rescue 21 include enhanced voice clarity, direction-finding caparelevant to IFT.” bilities, expanded coverage to at least 20 nautical miles offshore, and Kesting confirmed that Elbit will be competing for the IFT coninteroperability among federal, state and local agency systems. tract. Clifton and Norton indicated that their companies are consider“The Rescue 21 program is a great example of a proven solution ing doing the same. of integrated fixed towers,” said Norton. “For more than a decade, CBP’s RFP is structured as a wish list of sensors and capabilities we have been working with the Department of Homeland Security that the agency would like to see in IFT but, consistent with today’s to assist the Coast Guard in investigating distress calls, responding tight budgets, also with an indication of what is doable. “We’ve indito search and rescue cases, and constantly monitoring over 40,600 cated the range we’d like to see in the radars and cameras, but also miles of coastline.” what we’re willing to settle for,” said Borkowski. “We’ve described our U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq have constructed networks dream house but we’ve also let bidders know what we’re willing to of surveillance towers around forward operating bases analogous buy.” O to that contemplated under IFT. SRI Inc. delivered a command and
www.BCD-kmi.com
BCD 1.1 | 11
Tactical Communications Meeting service needs—quickly, efficiently and cost effectively. John Santo, Executive Director, DHS Joint Wireless Program Q: What are the initial challenges that prompted the Tactical Communications contract to be awarded? A: The contract was the result of a DHS Efficiency Review initiative by the Secretary. The Department of Homeland Security needed a streamlined sourcing vehicle to leverage the department’s buying power to receive high volume discounts and the lowest prices possible. Q: How will the Tactical Communications contract enhance the communications capabilities of the DHS and other agencies? A: This DHS-wide Tactical Communications contract is a multiple-award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity [IDIQ] vehicle specifically designed to be the preferred source for procuring tactical communications equipment and services. The DHS has a manageable number of contractors that have passed a competitive process. Many of these contractors have done a significant amount of business with DHS and are familiar with its organizations, requirements and tactical communications 12 | BCD 1.1
architecture. All of them will get a chance to specialize in helping DHS improve its communications capabilities. Because contractors have been through a competitive process and will specialize in serving DHS, they should become adept at quickly preparing proposals that exploit their strengths. The government will only need to evaluate proposals from a select group of qualified contractors. With this contract, DHS has a flexible means of meeting tactical communications equipment and service needs—quickly, efficiently and cost effectively. Q: What will be the process of awarding the individual contracts among the 30 contract awardees? A: The contract includes five technical categories [TCs] for Subscriber Equipment [TC1], Infrastructure Equipment [TC2], Infrastructures Services [TC3], Operations & Maintenance Services [TC4] and Test Equipment [TC5]. DHS awarded contracts to each of 30 contractors in one or more of these TCs. TCs 1, 3, and 4 have two competitive tracks: Small Business—only small businesses are eligible to compete for orders, and Unrestricted—large and small businesses are eligible to compete for orders. All orders are placed by the individual component www.BCD-kmi.com
or agency contract officer [CO]. If a fair opportunity exception applies, then the CO prepares the solicitation under a solesource basis. Otherwise, the CO determines what competitive track to use. Then the solicitation goes to either small businesses or both small and large businesses in the appropriate TC. The solicitations are evaluated, and the CO issues the task order to the contractor selected for award. Q: What types of products and solutions will be included in the Tactical Communications initiative? A: Available for order are all equipment, supplies and services related to tactical communications as made commercially available through the tactical communications contractors. The scope includes accessories, options, refurbished equipment and equipment leasing. New equipment and technology is automatically made available as it is added to the contractors’ commercial catalogs. Q: Is there anything else you would like to say that I have not asked?
The team included people from U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Office of Intelligence and Analysis, Federal Protective Service, National Protection and Programs Directorate, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, and Office of the Chief Information Officer. The U.S. Secret Service administers the contract. The DHS Joint Wireless Program Management Office [JPWMO] looks for ways to improve tactical communications program management across DHS. The JWPMO implemented a procedure for collecting all task order solicitation and award documents and sharing them with contracting officers and select technical people across DHS. The JWPMO serves as a forum for components to socialize all aspects of their tactical communications programs, including acquisition plans, upgrade plans, maintenance plans, communication planning and operations. This forum evaluates and shares best practices, reduces duplication, leverages DHS infrastructure and ensures that these programs are consistent with DHS objectives. O
A: Getting the right contract in place for the entire department was a joint effort. DHS gathered a team from all of the department’s tactical communications communities dedicated to developing requirements and evaluating proposals.
For more information, contact BCD Editor Brian O’Shea at briano@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.BCD-kmi.com.
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BCD 1.1 | 13
SECURITY WATCH Litter System Utilized to Save Lives
Skedco has been very active in the military/border patrol and hazmat environment for 30 years, and its litter system been available on the battlefield for most of that time. The Sked is a drag stretcher that can be used by one or more rescuers very efficiently. Skedco also provides immobilization and flotation with the Sked in a single bag measuring 9 inches in diameter and 36 inches long with two side pockets. There are variations of the Sked for different military environments. The most common is the PJ Sked and now the Tactical Sked that weighs only 7 pounds and is hoistable. The Hazmat Decontaminable Mass Casualty (HMD) Sked is the most popular for CBRNE operations and evacuation of hospitals or other buildings that have stairwells or escalators. The HMD Sked features polypropylene straps that can be changed in the field. It is decontaminable, so it will not absorb chemicals such as mustard gas. After decontamination, new straps are installed and they are staged and ready for an incident. They come in yellow as well as black for when subdued color is necessary. When used with the Skyhook winch, it is the most effective system available for evacuating mass casualties from the hot zone. This system features the Skyhook winch and continuous loops of rope, which makes it possible to haul victims out and send stretchers back into the hot zone.
Tri-Compliant Armor Vest Diamondback Tactical, a leader in tactical armor systems, announced the industry’s first tri-compliant concealable armor vest, the Synergy IIIA. Lighter and more flexible than most armor vests, the Synergy IIIA is compliant to the new NIJ 0101.06-Standard and tested to FBI and DEA protocols. The Synergy IIIA is a hybrid vest design compiled of proprietary Core Matrix and performance aramid materials, weighing 1.07 pounds per square foot. The combination of its design and advanced materials makes the Synergy IIIA one of the most comfortable Level IIIA vests on the market. For a concealable wear, the Synergy IIIA can be paired with the Dynamic concealable
carrier or any Diamondback Tactical low profile or tactical vests. It provides protection against a variety of known special-threat rounds and is available in both male and female designs. Synergy IIIA is ideal for law enforcement and tactical operations. The Synergy IIIA, in conjunction with Diamondback Tactical’s other high performance products such as the N-Force, Thin Blue Line or advanced MUST Shield, provide threat-stopping armor solutions. The complete Synergy armor line also includes the high performance NIJ-Certified Level II Synergy concealable vest. Angela Milligan; amilligan@dbtarmor.com
Bud Calkin; bud@skedko.com
CERT Drills and Exercises The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program at FEMA announced that a new library of 20 ready-to-use CERT exercises of all types is now available for download on the new Drills and Exercises page of the National CERT website at www.citizencorps.gov/cert/exercises.shtm. The new materials will help CERT programs conduct a variety of drills and exercises based on different scenarios. Drills and exercises are great opportunities for CERT programs to engage their volunteer members and to practice, assess and improve their program’s emergency response plans and on-the-ground operations. The scenarios, objectives and events of each exercise can be used as is or modified to address 14 | BCD 1.1
the local CERT program’s training priorities. Planning exercises and drills does not have to be a daunting and time-consuming task for CERT programs. The new web page includes materials for four drills, six tabletop exercises, four functional exercises, four full-scale exercises and two competitive events that were developed according to national guidance and principles outlined by the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program. All drills and exercises were developed with common terminology and a systematic approach consistent with the National Incident Management System framework to ensure that CERT programs are well-integrated with emergency management and incident response operations. www.BCD-kmi.com
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Mobile Radiation Monitoring Laboratory Life Safety Systems recently introduced the RadLab, designed to respond to radiation threat emergencies such as terrorist use of “dirty bombs” or devices that utilize radioactive elements. This custom-built vehicle has roving radiation detection capabilities, fixed site radiation detection and analysis, downwind hazard prediction software and advanced communications and computer networking capabilities. On-board resources include: portable detection and measuring systems with radio telemetry, meteorological station, stand-alone diesel generator, personal protection equipment satellite uplink/ downlink, UHF, and VHF radios. LSSI builds a wide range of custom, mission-specific vehicles including mobile CBRNE laboratories, NBC Cruiser terrorism response vehicles, EOD and bomb trucks and border security platforms for use by the military and civilian first responder communities. William Conklin; b@lifesafetysys.com
Radio To Help Save Lives When defending the border or responding to CBRNE events, direct communication between all types of responders is critical. Unfortunately, many first responders can’t talk to each other because their radios work on different frequency bands. This inability to talk puts lives and property needlessly at risk. Thales has solved this problem with its Liberty Multiband Land Mobile Radio. The radio operates on all first responder bands ((VHF, UHF and 700/800 MHZ), is compliant with open standards, and is tough. It’s fully P25 compliant and secure with DES and AES encryption.
The Liberty meets MIL-STD 810 C/D/E/F specifications. It has a MILSPEC metal housing based on Thales’ experience with battlefield radios. It is submersible to two meters. Perhaps most important, the radio is Intrinsic Safe, having been certified to the FM Approval Standard 3610:1988. Intrinsic Safe ensures that the radio can be operated around hazardous materials and in explosive environments. Sheila Gindes; sheila.gindes@thalescomminc.com
Panoramic Thermal Imaging Camera HGH Infrared Systems has introduced the security and surveillance community to the only real-time, rotating-head, panoramic thermal imaging camera. The IR Revolution 360 camera provides ultra-wide 360 degree imaging, day and night, without distortion. The panoramic infrared camera system features a cooled, high resolution thermal imaging sensor spinning continuously at 1 revolution/sec for total 360 degree azimuth coverage. It can automatically detect and track an unlimited number of threats simultaneously. This innovative sensor acts as high resolution “optical radar” and relies on advanced algorithms for its detection capabilities. The detection is automatic and immediate and can be applied to wide area surveillance, coastal and border control, airport/seaport protection and anti-piracy. The IR360 is deployed in Afghanistan for FOB protection with the PGSS program. The IR Revolution 360’s Windows-based Cyclope software interface is easy to learn and intuitive, providing a clear display of the panoramic image as well as the ability to zoom on areas of interest. The IR Revolution 360 provides great flexibility in accessing and displaying
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thermal imagery of events and intrusions in the 360-degree field of view. A powerful algorithm performs detection of targets in complex backgrounds. Vanessa Couturier; vanessa.couturier@hgh-infrared.com
BCD 1.1 | 15
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Border Protector
Q& A
Maintaining Vigilance on Our Nation’s Borders Michael J. Fisher Chief U.S. Border Patrol U.S. Customs and Border Protection Michael J. Fisher is the chief of the U.S. Border Patrol and a member of the Senior Executive Service. He is responsible for planning, organizing, coordinating, and directing enforcement efforts designed to secure our nation’s borders. Fisher entered on duty with the U.S. Border Patrol in June 1987 as a member of Class 208. His first duty assignment as a Border Patrol agent was at the Douglas Station in the Tucson Sector. He successfully completed the selection process for the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) in 1990 and was later selected as a field operations supervisor for BORTAC in El Paso, Texas. Over a four-year period, he planned and executed operations throughout the United States and nine foreign countries. Fisher later served as the deputy chief patrol agent of the Detroit Sector and as an assistant chief patrol agent in the Tucson Sector. During the transition to the Department of Homeland Security in March 2003, Fisher was appointed deputy director for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Anti- Terrorism in Washington, D.C., where he staffed and directed the office during periods of increased threats and served as the CBP liaison to the inter-agency intelligence community for anti-terrorist planning and operational coordination. Fisher later served at Border Patrol Headquarters as an associate chief and in 2004 was promoted to senior associate chief. He returned to the field in February 2006 as the deputy chief patrol agent of San Diego Sector. He was promoted to chief patrol agent of San Diego Sector in June 2007. He was named acting chief of the Border Patrol on January 3, 2010, and assumed his current position on May 9, 2010. Fisher earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in business administration. He is a graduate of the Senior Executive Fellows Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He also completed the Capstone program at the National Defense University in 2009. Q: What are the primary challenges and threats of patrolling over 6,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian land borders and 2,000 miles of coastal waters surrounding the Florida Peninsula and Puerto Rico? A: Generally speaking, the primary challenge is the lack of information about those who intend to and have the capability to come across the border illegally [whether by land or by sea] and not really knowing what potential threats they pose. That’s one of the things that the Department of Homeland Security, certainly in a post-9/11 environment, strives to do each and every day. The end state remains fluid. It’s just a process whereby we measure the extent to which we are successful; how we define whether we’re winning or not is really, as www.BCD-kmi.com
General Petraeus once said, a process. It’s a huge challenge given the geography: 2,000 miles of border with Mexico and about 4,000 miles with Canada—it’s a lot of open territory. We are constantly evolving and striving to adapt to the ever-changing environment in which we operate and to the evolving and dynamic threats that we face within this country as it relates to our national security mission. Q: Can you elaborate on the Secure Border Initiative? A: The United States Border Patrol is one of three operational components within U.S. Customs and Border Protection [CBP], the Office of Field Operations and the Office of Air and Marine [OAM] being the other two. The Secure Border Initiative focused on three questions: How do we combine all of the available resources; how do we apply them to the border; and how do we evolve, as we’re doing now in our new strategic plan, for the next five years in terms of our border security mission? We have increased our staffing significantly in the last 10 years, from just over 10,000 in 2002 to over 21,000 today. Infrastructure along the border has increased as well. At this point, there are almost 700 miles of primary vehicle and pedestrian fencing along the border with Mexico and there are more roads and better access to the border than ever before. The third piece is technology, both in terms of quantity and quality of technology available to us; we have more cameras, sensors and monitoring capabilities than ever before. As we move from a strategy that was resource based to one now BCD 1.1 | 17
that is risk based, we must constantly evolve within that broad border security initiative framework regarding how we protect this country against all threats and with more inclusion of our federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners and the local communities that are within the border areas and are affected by those threats that we see every day. Q: Can you elaborate on the Border Patrol’s strategic plan? A: The Border Patrol Strategic Plan is the second strategy that the Border Patrol put into practice since CBP was created in 2003. The original strategy that guided the way we operate along the borders was written in 2004. In the new strategy, there are two overarching goals and each of those goals has specific strategic objectives that will carry the Border Patrol through 2016. We are in the process right now of building the implementation plan both within the organization at the leadership and field levels, within the workforce and also within the security and technology industries. It’s important to get the [technology industry’s] perspectives about what we’re looking to do over the next five years. The strategy really involves a strategic shift and changes some of our strategic imperatives in terms of things that we know we need to achieve over the next five years, given what we have done since 9/11 and since the evolution of the 2004 strategy.
Arizona CBP Operations include aerials of CBP locations, canine inspections, ports of entry and exit, border patrols, OFO operations and inspections, apprehensions, drug seizures, and check points. [Photo courtesy of DHS/by Donna Burton]
Q: Can you tell me what the two overarching goals are and what the objectives of each goal are?
execution within the organization of CBP, within the department, and then within a whole of government approach?
A: The first goal is about our border security mission: What does it mean in today’s threat environment to secure the border? How do we transition from a workforce that really doubled the agency’s size and capability in terms of staffing? What do we do now with nine unmanned aircraft systems that back in 2004 we were still just experimenting with? We have things like remote vehicle surveillance systems; these are ground-based radar systems that have daytime and nighttime cameras. These give us a whole array of capabilities that we didn’t have before. The first goal is focused on optimizing our capabilities. With all of the new technology and more capability in terms of staffing, how then do we build a strategy for implementation to carry us through the next five years? It’s a different scenario than the strategy from 2004, which was focused on building resources. We knew that we were getting a lot of enhancements, and so as we were hiring Border Patrol agents and building roads and fences and as we were acquiring new technology, it became a show of force: Deploy every available resource and stop the flow from coming across our borders, whether that was vehicles just driving across or hundreds and thousands of people on any given day coming through a very porous border. The second goal focuses on the organization itself, specifically the men and women of the agency: How do we build and continue to mature the workforce? The theme between both goals intrinsic to the strategy is really identifying, developing and training future leaders of the Border Patrol. This is critical for us to be able to fully implement and mature the strategy and create a more secure border. The second goal also includes writing doctrine. We must formalize the process. With the size of the organization and the complexity that our border security, and now national security, mandates require, we have to actually build doctrine to institutionalize a process by which we would implement such a strategy. Goal two speaks to these issues, our processes, our system: How do we do joint and integrated planning and
Q: How does CBP work with the U.S. military and other federal agencies?
18 | BCD 1.1
A: Before CBP in the late ’80s and early ’90s, the military worked along the border predominantly in a counter-drug mission. During that time, the U.S. government was doing a lot, like source country interdictions. Working on the border, the special response teams and the Special Operations Group within the Border Patrol was working with the military. The Border Patrol worked with both Title 10 and Title 32 forces. The Title 10 were the full-time military under orders. We worked with the U.S. Marine Corps and the 5th and 7th Group Special Forces. We also worked with Title 32 forces, which is predominantly the National Guard—the National Guard was deployed back then under specific funding for DoD counter-drug missions. The military provided much needed eyes and ears for Border Patrol agents when we didn’t have a lot of staffing and technology, so they were a force multiplier for us on the border and it was very effective. That relationship has grown. Right now, we continue to coordinate very closely with NORTHCOM [U.S. Northern Command], specifically Joint Task Force-North [JTF-N] in El Paso, Texas, which is our conduit to the larger combatant command of NORTHCOM. We provide our border requirements quarterly to JTF-N, which coordinates military units that volunteer to source some of those requirements to various locations along our borders. Currently, we are working with the military through Operation Phalanx, which started out several years ago with the deployment of up to 1,200 National Guardsmen along our borders. We have recently transitioned to helicopters and other types of air support in predominantly two theaters of operations, one in the Arizona corridor and one in the South Texas corridor. Q: How are CBP OAM P-3s utilized for counter-narcotic missions and what are a few recent mission successes? www.BCD-kmi.com
A: The P-3 right now, and even over the last year, have historically been deployed in south Florida; they’re under command and control of Joint Interagency Taskforce-South [JIATF-S] down there, and are patrolling the straights there as narcotics come up through Central America. They also provide a forward looking capability to identify “pangas” and “go-fast boats” that are smuggling contraband so that we can then coordinate either with the host country for the interdiction or launch Coast Guard cutters that may be out in that area if the targets are close to U.S. shores. The P-3s work predominantly in the transit area. By all accounts, CBP’s P-3 operations provide the vast majority of air detection capability for JIATF-S missions. The P-3s patrol in a 42 million square mile area of the Western Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, known as the Source and Transit Zone, in search of drugs that are in transit towards U.S. shores. In the first half of fiscal year 2012, they have detected more than 36,000 pounds of cocaine worth $2.6 billion. In FY11, they were responsible for the detection of 12 of the 15 self-propelled semi-submersible events intercepted by JIATF-S, and accounted for more than 68 percent of all JIATF-S seizures.
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Q: How is CBP working with local law enforcement and Mexico to prevent violence from crossing into U.S. territory? A: Working with our state, local, tribal and federal partners has always been an important component to border security, and we will continue to do joint planning and joint execution with those partners. In many cases, the jurisdictions along the southwest border and many places along the northern border get grant money from the Department of Homeland Security through a program called Operation Stonegarden. In a risk-based approach, the Secretary of Homeland Security allocates grant money out to the states, whether it’s a sheriff’s office or a local police department that operates in and around the border environment. Those local law enforcement entities do joint planning and joint deployments with Border Patrol agents; the grant money is used in that regard. We continue to plan with many entities within Mexico; we work with the Secretariat de Sguridad Publica [SSP], which is the equivalent to the federal police in Mexico. We also work with the Secretariat de Defensa Nacional [SEDENA], which is part of their military. We coordinate with the local commanders of SEDENA—they have one star generals that are in command of local garrisons in Mexico and some of their areas of operations are in close proximity to the border. We also want to be able to let them know about areas of high risk along our border so that they will be able to match deployment. That might be in the form of checkpoints in Mexico leading up to the staging areas along the border. We will also work in the same regard with SSP to do joint patrols along the border so those areas of exploitation aren’t being used by the smuggling organizations that own and operate the plazas in Mexico. Q: Can you discuss how enhanced tactical communications will benefit CBP operations? A: In any operation, communication is critical—whether you’re talking in the open or certainly in the encrypted environment, which is how most of our agents are operating right now. Tactical communications for us is everything from pushing both voice and data across broader bandwidth. This provides our agents with a greater sense of situational awareness and to be able to provide a common operating picture for the decision-makers in the field to get a broad sense of www.BCD-kmi.com
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BCD 1.1 | 19
what’s happening; to be able to deploy and re-deploy resources against the greatest risks. Q: With the recently passed FAA re-authorization act, clearing domestic airspace for widespread UAS use, how will this benefit CBP’s aerial surveillance capabilities? A: It’s critical; without the certificates of authorization granted by the FAA, we wouldn’t be able to operate in any airspace. CBP currently has coverage along the southern border from the Arizona state line all the way east and south through Texas, and two ground control stations that operate both launch and recovery operations. One is in Fort Huachuca, Ariz., and the other one is in Corpus Christi. We have one on the northern border in North Dakota, which gives us the ability to launch and recover up north as well. During the last flooding of the Red River, CBP’s Predators were able to provide much-needed downstreaming video to the first responders and rescuers to get a sense of what the area looked like and how to deploy, so it was a really good tool for the leadership. CBP has an agreement with FAA in areas where we may not have a certificate of authorization to fly. There are protocols in place that, given certain circumstances from a national security standpoint, we can get waivers to fly in those areas on a case by case basis. Q: Can you describe the training program that is offered by the Border Patrol Academy for new Border Patrol agents?
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A: Our basic academy for Border Patrol Agents is in Artesia, N.M. It’s a 55/40 program, meaning the first 55 days covers all the certifications and instruction that most law enforcement personnel get: firearms training, law studies, driver training and physical standards training. After successful completion of the first 55 days of training, Border Patrol agents transition to Spanish language training and must pass a language proficiency test. When an agent passes the language test, he/she rotates to his/her assigned station and will be part of the field training unit and complete the one year probation. If a border patrol agent is not able to pass the language proficiency test, he or she would stay at the academy for an additional 40 days of language proficiency training, and then go to their field training units in the field. Q: What are the C4ISR priorities for U.S. Border Patrol? A: The priorities for the Border Patrol are high-risk areas. In our world, the high-risk areas are where we know people and/or contraband are entering illegally in between the ports of entry. It could be a priority based on geography, it could be a priority based on a high value target. If we have information that leads us to believe an individual or group of individuals is intending to cross in a particular area, that will drive our priorities. It’s really driven by information and intelligence which identifies those areas and individuals that we want to look at and need to be able to identify and classify. This type of information would make up target decks—for our Predator Bs, for instance. Once you have the information, the next thing is integration. We’re really talking about joint planning and execution against some of those areas or targets. The third piece, rapid response, is the capability to deploy manpower and resources to those areas of highest risk. Q: With all this new array of technology and capability, what is the most beneficial for our national security and border security mission? A: The Border Patrol agent. Think of it in terms of the “last 50 feet.” We have within this organization an increase in technology. We have stuff that, quite frankly, I didn’t think I’d ever see in my career as a Border Patrol agent. I think a lot of people think about the technology, whether it’s the Predator Bs, the radar systems—we’ve got more feeds on things that are happening out there, so I think a lot of people tend to think that we just need more of that. But when you think of the last 50 feet, it matters not what type of sensing and queuing capability we have. It doesn’t matter whether we have primary fence or secondary fence. It doesn’t matter how many unattended ground sensors we have. Because at the end of the day, in order to identify and classify and stop a particular threat—individuals who are coming between the ports of entry for a variety of reasons, some of whom want to do harm to this country—it’s going to take a Border Patrol agent getting out of a vehicle, dismounting from a horse, or being inserted by a helicopter to close that last 50 feet to be able to identify, classify and stop that threat. There is no technology that I have seen that’s going to be able to close that 50 feet other than the Border Patrol agents. In my estimation, they are and will continue to be the most valuable asset that we have in this organization, which is the primary reason that identifying, developing and training future leaders of this organization is so critical and thematic throughout our strategic plan. O www.BCD-kmi.com
Counter Drug Operations OAM’s P-3 program proves vital to minimize the amount of narcotics entering our borders . By Brian O’Shea BCD Editor Tracking and coordinating the intervention of a billion dollars worth of cocaine is a worthy feat for any federal agency working to prevent narcotics from entering the United States, and it happens to be something that U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Air and Marine (OAM) does on a regular basis. A big part of that capability relies on the use of OAM’s P-3 aircraft operations, which accounted for the disruption and seizure of over 148,000 pounds of cocaine in fiscal year 2011 with an estimated street value of $11.1 billion and intercepted three self-propelled semi-submersibles. The OAM operates 14 Lockheed Orion P-3 patrol aircraft. OAM P-3s are high-endurance, all-weather, tactical turbo-prop aircraft, which are utilized primarily for long-range patrols www.BCD-kmi.com
along the U.S. border and in the drug transit zones. CBP P-3 aircraft provide the bulk of their time conducting long-range surveillance, information gathering and interdiction missions in support of the Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S). “This is a Cold War aircraft,” said Lothar Eckhardt, executive director of National Air Security Operations (NASO), Office of Air and Marine, Customs and Border Protection. “Back in the days of the Cold War, when the U.S. Navy was tracking nuclear submarines from the Soviet Union, they came up with the P-3 because it is a great all-weather aircraft. It has a high endurance time, it can stay up for 10 hours, it can fly low—which is where you need to be to get these guys—for a long period of time. It’s a workhorse airplane and it’s ideal to do that. It can BCD 1.1 | 21
get slow enough in a high endurance mission or it has great dash speeds to get to an area to intercept and aircraft that’s coming to the United States with dope on it.” Of those 14 OAM P-3s, there are two types: the Lockheed Orion P-3B Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and the Lockheed Orion P-3 Long Range Tracker (LRT). OAM currently operates eight AEWs and six LRTs. As part of the counter drug strategy, P-3s track drugs from the source zone, through the transit zone and all the way to the arrival zone. The source zone would be somewhere in South America where most of the coca is grown and produced. The transit zone is the surrounding body of water, and then coming up to the southwest border, southeastern border and the Gulf of Mexico is the arrival zone. Loads of dope are large in the source zone and then get broken up into smaller and smaller loads as they go through the transit zone and even smaller in the arrival zone, all the way down to street deal-size amounts, said Eckhardt. “That’s the theory, get the large loads as much as you can,” he added. “That’s the first part of defense in-depth. And then we have medium range aircraft like the Dash 8 and the Super King Air Multi-Enforcement Aircraft, and they get the next wave coming into the arrival zone. So that way, by the time the Border Patrol is on the border, the FBI, DEA and all those involved with counter-drugs work in the United States, there’s less dope for them to deal with.”
Onboard Technology AEW Detection and Monitoring aircraft are the only dedicated law enforcement AEW aircraft in the world. They were developed to provide wide area search, increased command control, and communications capabilities. The LRT is designed to intercept and track airborne smuggling threats. LRT aircraft often fly in tandem with the AEW. Used in this manner, the AEW detects and tracks multiple targets and the accompanying LRT intercepts, identifies and tracks those suspect targets. That was the case until the creation of SeaVue Radar, a long-range maritime search radar, a couple of years ago. Since the integration of SeaVue, they can now conduct operations with just one aircraft. “Back in the day before SeaVue was invented, we used to go out in what’s called a ‘double eagle’ package; this is why [CBP] was so good at looking for and finding dope,” said Eckhardt. “The AEW and the LRT would take off together. The AEW would go to the patrol boxes up high and point out all of the radar targets for the LRT, which would stay low. The AEW would give 22 | BCD 1.1
a radar vector to the LRT and the LRT would stay low and visually identify all the contacts. When SeaVue came out, we were able to split the double eagle package. What we did was put the electro optics [EO] on the AEW so that way it can go out and find contacts and visually identify them themselves. So now we can cover much more area than we could with the double eagle package for a cheaper price. Getting the taxpayers some value there.” The AEW is equipped with an APS-145 radar, not the SeaVue Radar, which is the same one used on the Navy’s E-2 Hawkeye. While flying, the AEW can cover an area the size of Pennsylvania with one sweep of its radar. “So where the Navy tuned it for the battle group scenario looking for ships and cruise missiles inbound, the whole nine yards, our contractors tuned it for looking for small boats, maritime environments and low flying airplanes,” said Eckhardt. The LRT is equipped with two radars, an APG 66, which is an air-to-air search radar, and the SeaVue Radar. Armed with the tools and technology necessary to carry out its mission, the P-3 is a pilot favorite. “For every flight hour we fly, there’s 26 pounds of cocaine we put on the table,” said Eckhardt. “This airplane is [the] old reliable. It gets people out of station safely and gets us home safe. I love this airplane.” In addition to the extensive reach of the P-3’s radar, they are equipped with state-of-the-art communications systems including VHF, UHF, HF, SATCOM and iridium satellite phones to contact people via landlines. EO and infrared (IR) sensors play a part in the P-3’s roles as well, in that they can visually locate targets during daytime or nighttime operations.
Current and Future Upgrades OAM is in the process of “re-winging” all of the P-3s. The average age of OAM’s P-3s is 46 years old and coming to the end of service life. In 2005, OAM was finding cracks in the wing. Upgrades needed to take place, which is by far less expensive than purchasing brand new aircraft. Re-winging the aircraft will add a minimum of 15,000 flight hours or approximately 18-20 more years of service. “When you get to that situation [aircraft going beyond service life], you send them into what’s called heavy maintenance,” said Eckhardt. “They’ll bring them into a rework facility and they do non-destructive inspection on them, like X-ray and dyes and look for cracks and they’ll repair cracks. The airplane comes out with patches on the wings and they’ll get into the www.BCD-kmi.com
wing tank, put a doubler on where there was a crack. It’s an accepted way of doing aviation maintenance, but after a while, when you start to repair the repairs, it gets to be too much. There’s a point where you just can’t repair that wing any more. That’s the point we’re at.” Once the re-winging is completed, OAM is looking to standardize the fleet. This includes cockpit set up—not all planes have the same configuration—and EO/IR balls, also not standardized within the fleet. Once that is complete, Eckhardt said, the mission systems would have to be upgraded. “The mission system is the guts of the airplane, the computers that run and integrate the EOIR to radar contact, the ball and optics can zoom in on contacts,” he said. “It allows all of
the different sensors to talk to each other. There’s a mission computer that keeps track of the position of the airplane on a map so you know where you are and plots targets on that map. A lot of things happen in the background on that airplane. So the mission system is probably going to need an update within the next few years. We always have to access new technology; there might be stuff on the horizon that might be perfect for us, we just don’t know yet.” O For more information, contact BCD Editor Brian O’Shea at briano@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.BCD-kmi.com.
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BCD 1.1 | 23
Maintaining surveillance over rural and urban terrain. By Henry Canaday BCD Correspondent
24 | BCD 1.1
www.BCD-kmi.com
The Department of Homeland Security hopes to make two to three firm-fixed-price awards for demonstration of a wide area aerial surveillance system (WAASS). WAASS’s primary objective is persistent, long-term surveillance of urban and rural terrain of at least 16 square kilometers. John Appleby, WAASS program manager at DHS, said that separate firms may supply competitive applications, and these may apply to both land and marine surveillance, although the priority is land surveillance. “They may overlap or one may be land and one may be marine.” After award, DHS will field-test applications, perhaps in several phases. “This is an operational test, not developmental,” Appleby emphasized. Then DHS would “socialize” the applications with important units, such as Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Important criteria for selection include quality of technology and ease of adaptation. “It must be easy to insert into our data management system, which is already in place,” Appleby stressed. “Level of effort for fielding is also important, as DHS wants to field WAASS soon. We do not want something that will take four to five years. We want operation in a year or two, something good but not a Cadillac, and then we can improve it in the future.” Cost is also important, so using military or off-theshelf components would be helpful.
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The military uses large and high-definition images, which require huge databases and data-transmission capabilities. “They have lots of people to do quick-turnaround analytics,” Appleby noted. “We are constrained by budgets and do not have as many people.” DHS also wants to do forensic analysis, analyzing images after capture. “So it would help if there is automated software and streamlined data management.” DHS hoped to issue the request for proposal in mid-May 2012 and award contracts by late summer or early fall. “There is lots of pressure to get it fielded in a year or two, so we will tend to look at mature technologies, already used by other agencies or at a high level of reliability,” Appleby said. “We are hoping it will not cost many millions.” There will be no set-aside for small business as there are already so many other parameters. WAASS must integrate with current DHS capabilities, including USCG capabilities and DHS cameras and imagers on poles. “It might cue these sensors,” Appleby said. WAASS will look for illegal intrusions by humans, vehicles and other equipment, detecting these and helping DHS decide if intrusions require response or cueing other sensors. A demonstration was done with a team led by Logos Technologies and including L-3 Communications, which detected and helped send back a thousand illegal immigrants in one week.
BCD 1.1 | 25
WAASS must fit within the size, weight and power capabilities of an Orion P-3 or Predator B unmanned aerial system (UAS). “We named these two platforms to suggest we can’t use huge Global Hawks because they are too expensive and big,” Appleby said. “We would like to use WAASS on many small to medium aircraft but not on huge UASs. It could also be used on fixed and aerostat platforms. We would like flexibility so we can use it on many platforms.” DHS wants WAASS to be already integrated, or easily integrated, on necessary platforms. WAASS will need electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) sensors for day and night surveillance. “We need to look at radar too,” Appleby noted. “It needs to be all-weather.” Integration of WAASS with CPB and USCG systems could be expensive. “They might take it as a service for a while, and then integrate it later on their own,” Appleby said. Wide area surveillance systems now used by the military tend to be heavy, 500 to 1,000 pounds, and mostly used for forensic surveillance, explained Chuck Willoughby, senior program manager at L-3 Integrated Optical Systems. L-3 IOS has concentrated on tactical wide-area surveillance, for which coverage is generally limited to the area of battalion operations. “We wanted a system that was affordable, provided coverage in real time and could ‘chip’ out a video stream for ROVER [Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver], One System Remote Video Terminal and VideoScout handheld devices,” Willoughby explained. The Office of Naval Research sought a surveillance system for the RQ-7 Shadow 200 UAS with Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL). L-3 IOS and another company were selected for the project two years ago and L-3 was down-selected to continue with the program, UltraWide, in December 2011. The key technology is mid-wave infrared (MWIR) focal plane array with a very large format, 4,096 by 4,096 pixels, or 16 megapixels. A single camera weighs just 50 to 60 pounds and is stabilized with a trunnion so it can keep focus as the UAS continues flight. L-3’s Instant Situational Awareness Wide Field of View (ISAW) device did test flights in July 2011 on a Cessna 208 Caravan. It can send video streams to ROVERs or VideoScouts. “We are looking to apply it to other aircraft,” Willoughby said. “We hope we can put it on Wescam turrets, MX-15 size and above.” ISAW could be combined with other cameras in turrets and put on the RQ-1 Predator, the MQ-1C Grey Eagle, manned aircraft or aerostats. ISAW can do border security on land and broad area maritime surveillance on P-8 Poseidons or UASs like MQ-8 Fire Scout. Willoughby argued that border security requires a mix of devices and platforms including aerial and aerostat. MWIR cameras see in day and night but are not all-weather sensors like radar. “ISAW can see through haze, but for all weather you would want to augment with radar,” Willoughby explained. ISAW typically covers a square kilometer on 16 megapixels, yielding resolution of a quarter meter, “good for detection and tracking personnel,” Willoughby said. ISAW usually flies at 7,500 feet. Coverage can be expanded with altitude, but resolution declines. Other systems use multiple cameras for wider fields, but this increases weight and requires stitching images together, unlike UltraWide’s single camera. L-3 IOS is developing UltraWide for the Shadow by 2015 or 2016. It plans to increase the array to 64 megapixels. 26 | BCD 1.1
“It’s the most economic technology, the most compact and has the least data burdens,” Willoughby summarized. Since data transmission is a challenge, ISAW can chip out a section of the image, 640 by 640 pixels selected by the user, for streaming to the ground. Automating selection may be practical for maritime surveillance with little clutter, but would be tough for land images with many moving objects. L-3 wants to develop zoom capabilities. L-3 IOS is developing ISAW variants for pods and insertion in MX-15 turrets. Variants would typically operate between 15,000 and 20,000 feet and could be cued by other sensors—for example, signals intelligence that can locate but not view surveillance targets. ISAW itself could cue ‘soda straw’ sensors for a closer look at targets to determine intent. Other L-3 divisions have developed ISR platforms for lease by customers as ‘surveillance by the hour.’ Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS) has a teaming agreement with Goodrich and has produced a new generation of both airborne and ground-based wide-area surveillance sensors, designed to be affordable, turn-key solutions. PSS provides both EO and IR systems to track vehicles and people over areas up to 25 square miles. Its surveillance technologies can monitor entire cities and borders at resolutions allowing tracking of vehicles and people, according to Lisa Beam, director of external relations. PSS’s systems can integrate with existing cameras to enhance image analysis of forensic data for many uses, including border security. Beam said nearly all full motion video-based surveillance has so far been limited by low resolution and narrow field-of-view. “Traditional surveillance sensors, such as camera balls and video cameras, are not very effective because they depend on looking in the right spot to capture an event,” Beam said. But PSS uses wide area survey mode or persistent stare mode to allow wider fields of view. “All data is archived so events can be analyzed in real time or forensically to recreate the sequence of events.” According to Beam, PSS has developed systems that provide a field of view equivalent to nearly 300 full motion video cameras normally found on surveillance aircraft. PSS’s Hawkeye, Hawkeye II and Nighthawk deliver real-time, high-resolution imagery for tracking individuals and vehicles in very large areas. An intuitive tracking system, I-View, allows multiple users to monitor several events simultaneously. The first-generation Hawkeye offers 88 megapixels resolution in black and white, typically covering four miles by four miles. Hawkeye II offers 192 megapixels of three-color images over an area up to five by five miles. The Nighthawk is an EO and MWIR sensor for day and night. Inherent EO resolution is 22 megapixels, with four megapixels for MWIR. Step-stare quadruples MWIR resolution to 88 and 16 megapixels. All PSS systems have easy-to-use interfaces, can store hours of imagery and support up to 10 remote user stations. PSS also offers full-service solutions, including PSS aircraft, pilots, on-air image processors, real-time downlinks, command centers and user stations, secure data server and storage, on-site technical support, training and analysis. O For more information, contact BCD Editor Brian O’Shea at briano@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.BCD-kmi.com.
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The advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers. KMI cannot be held responsible for discrepancies due to last-minute changes or alterations.
BCD RESOURCE CENTER Advertisers Index
Calendar
Ashford University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 www.military.ashford.edu/cbrne Border Management Conference & Technology Expo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 www.bordertechexpo.com Elbit Systems of America, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 www.elbitsystems-us.com Empire State College. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 www.esc.edu/military G4S International Training Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 www.g4siti.com Idaho Technology Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 www.bio-surveillance.com Raytheon Company (NCS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 www.raytheon.com Skedco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.skedco.com
June 26-27, 2012 2012 CCRA Exhibition Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. www.chemical-corps.org/cms/blog-layout/37-frontpage-news/181-2012-ccra-conf.html
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July 23-25, 2012 Border Management Summit North Seattle, Wash. www.bordermanagementsummit.com/event. aspx?id=724988 August 1-3, 2012 Department of Defense Fire & Emergency Services Conference Denver, Colo. http://s36.a2zinc.net/clients/iafc/dod12/public/ mainhall.aspx?id=3447
BCD 1.1 | 27
INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
Border & CBRNE Defense
Lou Banks BioSurveillance Marketing Manager Idaho Technology Inc. Since 1998, Idaho Technology has fielded sensitive and reliable biosurveillance products that span the range of operations from the lab to the field, and from clinical diagnostics to environmental surveillance. Q: Who is Idaho Technology and how do you help with the mission of the Department of Homeland Security? A: Idaho Technology Inc. [ITI] is a privately held molecular diagnostics company that specializes in supplying easy-to-use biological identification systems. Over the past 22 years, we have developed and patented cuttingedge technology for analyzing and detecting genetic material and licensed our technology to notable diagnostic companies such as Roche Diagnostics. We also have an extensive history working with the U.S. government and we supply key components for U.S. biosurveillance initiatives, the most notable being the Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System [JBAIDS], which is the biothreat identification and diagnostics standard for the U.S. military. We collaborate with other U.S. agencies such as Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security to provide biosurveillance tools to first responders that allow them to more effectively protect U.S. citizens. Firefighters, hazmat, police, military and public health use our equipment to quickly and reliably identify biological threats. Q: Why should we be concerned about a biological attack? A: A biological attack is the most probable and potentially has the highest impact when compared to other attack scenarios. Sure, a nuclear bomb will cause devastation, but the probability of a nuclear attack is very low since nuclear materials are very difficult to obtain. In contrast, it is relatively easy to carry out a biological attack since many threat agents occur naturally in the environment and only trace amounts of materials are required to cause harm. And the potential impact can be enormous along with the threat to national security, considering that some pathogens can spread quickly 28 | BCD 1.1
throughout the population and lead to fear and paranoia fueled by the inability to detect infection until symptoms manifest days later. This is precisely why numerous intelligence agencies have warned of an impending biological attack and the U.S. government through various presidential initiatives has formulated a National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats. Q: How does Idaho Technology support the National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats? A: A key component of the U.S. biosurveillance strategy is to provide accurate and timely information on current and emerging threats. Threats can be identified in a number of operational scenarios from field environmental samples to clinical samples in a lab. Idaho Technology offers a suite of biosurveillance systems to cover all these operational scenarios. For field applications, Razor EX provides a reliable and fast platform for identifying bioterrorism threats. It employs the same real-time PCR technology used in Public Health Labs, but designed for use by non-scientific personnel to identify 10 category A and B biothreats in 30 minutes. JBAIDS resides in a garrison setting and allows sophisticated users to have the system flexibility and throughput needed to test a multitude of samples for many targets. Idaho Technology’s newest instrument, The FilmArray, is designed for fixed or mobile labs to analyze clinical samples for panels of pandemic and public health pathogens of interest. Q: How does your equipment aid the field incident commander?
A: Incident commanders are put in a tough situation. Public health can take days to definitively identify a suspected biological agent and meanwhile, they are charged with keeping the public safe while balancing economic concerns—it is very expensive to shut down a building or an airport terminal. Razor EX provides fast, reliable results and this information taken with other information gathered at the scene helps in making better decisions. Suspected biological samples will still be sent to the lab for confirmatory analysis, but presumptive results allow incident commanders to posture a response while they wait for results from the lab and ultimately lead to a faster response, which saves lives. Q: What are some of the challenges associated with biological detection? A: Most agencies have great capability for chemical or radiation testing in the field, but are under-prepared for detecting biological threats. Many mistakenly assume biological identification can be performed like chemical detection, where you obtain a signature and compare it to a library of known signatures. However, biological detection is much more complex. First of all, we are surrounded by biological materials and it is a challenge to distinguish between intentional attacks and what occurs naturally in the environment. One approach is to use antibodies specific for threat agents; these are the hand-held assays [HHAs] that resemble pregnancy tests. HHAs can be useful but lack sensitivity and the false positive rate increases with added sensitivity. PCR-based systems, such as Razor EX, detect unique genetic material, DNA or RNA, specific to threat organisms and are generally more sensitive and reliable. Traditionally, PCR has been relegated to labs since it requires trained lab technicians measuring precise amounts of refrigerated reagents and taking proper precautions not to contaminate tests. We considered theses limitations of PCR when designing a field system for first responders. Our field solution, Razor EX, uses a sealed pouch system pre-loaded with freeze-dried PCR reagents. Users do not need special training; they simply load the sample into the pouch and insert it into the instrument. O www.BCD-kmi.com
Next Issue
September 2012 Volume 1, Issue 2
Cover and In-Depth Interview with:
Rafael Borras
Under Secretary for Management U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Leadership Insight
Leadership Perspective from JPEO-CBD Special Section
Northern Border Strategy:
Through the continued use of technology including thermal camera systems, mobile surveillance systems, remote video surveillance system and approximately 500 percent more Customs and Border Protection since 9/11, DHS’s three goals of this strategy include deter and prevent terrorism, smuggling, trafficking and illegal immigration; safeguard and encourage the efficient flow of lawful trade and travel; and ensure community safety and resiliency before, during and after terrorist attacks.
Features
Biometrics:
In the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, Congress mandated the use of biometrics in U.S. visas. Traditionally referring to fingerprints, biometrics also include facial or iris scans that are used to identify international travelers traveling to the U.S.
Supply Chain Security:
The Department of Homeland Security’s strategy for supply chain security aims to promote the efficient and secure movement of goods, foster a global supply chain system that can withstand evolving threats and hazards, and is prepared for rapid recovery from disruptions.
Radiation Detection & Protection:
In case of a nuclear attack or natural disaster, multiple federal agencies including Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security are trained and equipped to detect, respond and protect those exposed to radiological threats.
Insertion Order Deadline: August 20 • Ad Materials Deadline: August 27
ProvEn TEChnoLogy. ProvEn SECurE.
Border Security Technology by Elbit Systems of America no matter the threat … no matter the situation, Elbit Systems of America’s border security technology is proven to meet the demand. Elbit Systems of America is ready to bring the same advanced command & control architecture used on some of the most challenging borders in the world to the u.S. border. Designed for low life cycle cost, high reliability, and ease of maintenance, Elbit Systems of America’s open system architecture allows integration with a variety of sensors to meet current needs and accommodate future growth. Elbit Systems of America’s border security technology. operationally tested on the u.S. southwest border … ready for deployment. www.elbitsystems-us.com Copyright © 2012 Elbit Systems of America, LLC. All rights reserved.
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