| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Mobius" |
| Date: |
18 Aug 2006 10:36:36 AM |
| Object: |
Boeing eyes billion-dollar deal to watch border |
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/nation/story/8833BFFC426691DF862571CC001904B1?OpenDocument
Boeing bids for border security deal
By Philip Dine
POST-DISPATCH WASHINGTON BUREAU
08/15/2006
WASHINGTON
Boeing wants to guard the nation's borders - for a couple of billion
dollars.
Boeing's St. Louis-based defense division has developed a plan - combining
radar and laser technology, sensors and cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles,
other surveillance equipment and rapid communications tools - to keep
illegal immigrants, drug smugglers, potential terrorists and gunrunners from
entering the United States.
It's done so at the behest of the Department of Homeland Security, which,
seeking better ways to protect U.S. borders, a few months ago asked
corporations with expertise in systems integration to supply ideas and
technological know-how.
That started a process that has received scant public attention - partly
because federal officials have been tight-lipped about it - despite the
intense public debate over immigration and the role of border security in
the war on terrorism.
The competition for the contract ends next month, when federal officials
will choose Boeing or one of four rivals: Lockheed Martin, Raytheon,
Northrop Grumman or Ericsson of Sweden. The firms have devised a variety of
ways to combine technology - existing or to be developed - with the
government's border patrol and infrastructure.
An undetermined amount of the work, primarily systems engineering, would be
done in St. Louis if Boeing gets the contract.
Because the government wants to benefit from the firms' high-tech experience
and capability to innovate, it's given them a lot of leeway, noted Loren
Thompson, chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute, a
Virginia-based think tank on defense and homeland security issues.
"This is a form of creeping privatization or at least of outsourcing,"
Thompson said. "With the traditional approaches of border patrols clearly
not up to the challenge of securing the borders, the government seems more
inclined to assign key responsibilities to industry. It is going outside of
its traditional offices to pursue high-tech, imaginative alternatives."
The program is known as the Strategic Border Initiative network, or SBInet.
Geography is a challenge, says Robert Villanueva, Boeing's spokesman for the
project.
"There's desert on the south and mountains on the north along with sections
of the Great Lakes," he said. "There are different types of terrain that are
just not routinely monitored, where the technology will come in handy, so we
can see what's going on 24/7 - and notify the officers that there's a border
penetration they need to get to.
"Without building a hard fence, we're going to make the border a virtual
system," he said. "We'll be able to detect who's crossing the border why and
when and at what point, and hopefully identify whether they're terrorists or
drug smugglers, weapons smugglers or people hoping to join the work force."
The field originally consisted of more than a dozen firms, and the survivors
were notified within the past few days of their dates to undergo grilling
from homeland security officials, set for later this month with one company
per day.
The government is saying little, other than that it will award the
winner-take-all contract by Sept. 30.
Each company is touting its own advantages:
a.. Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company, has unparalleled
experience "as an honest broker, offering the best of industry . . . in
serving the customer as an integrator," said Wayne Esser, who is leading the
project for Boeing.
a.. Lockheed is the world's biggest defense contractor, and spokeswoman
Meredith Davis cited its "experience in managing large, complex and
geographically dispersed programs."
a.. Raytheon recently worked with Brazil, providing surveillance for the
Amazon area to protect against deforestation, drug trafficking and illegal
aliens, said spokesman David Albrighton.
a.. Northrop Grumman cites its work with various law enforcement agencies,
and spokesman Randy Belote said technologies that would be used include
"laser types of systems, unmanned aerial vehicles and radar."
a.. Ericsson emphasizes its background providing security to European
countries, and Douglas Smith, who runs its government business division in
Plano, Texas, said Ericsson would rely on "networks of ground sensors and
radar, very reliable in all weather."
Into the 21st century
The companies won't disclose much about their bids. Boeing's Esser said one
key is "to have an approach that will be very agile, very flexible, that
will be very responsive to changes in the threat, in the political climate -
including funding."
Thompson said because there are many options for combining technology and
people, "what the competition involves is to convince the government that
(bidders) understand what the optimum mix of features is and how to manage
it."
The Department of Homeland Security has been deservedly criticized for poor
management, but this program is likely to produce more dividends than
congressional squabbling about border guards and security fences, says James
Carafano of the Heritage Foundation.
"SBInet is actually something we really, really need - a system of systems
approach to border security. We need to jump into the 21st century,"
Carafano said. That's a skill of defense companies, which have transformed
themselves from manufacturers into systems integrators, he said.
P.J. Crowley of the Center for American Progress cautioned that, given the
freedom the Homeland Security Department is providing the bidders, it has to
scrutinize the work that's done.
"What is critical is that these contracts need proper oversight," he said.
"That is a potential problem, because in its three years of existence,
competence and oversight have not been strengths of this new department."
The five remaining bidders for U.S. border security project (SBInet):
Boeing Co.
Headquarters: Chicago (defense division in St. Louis)
Employees: 153,000
Major projects: F/A-18 Super Hornet, F-15 Eagle, 747 jetliner, C-17 military
transport plane, international space station, space shuttle orbiter fleet,
Future Combat Systems.
Border proposal: Will blend a wide array of technology to get instantaneous
information to border officers.
Ericsson
Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden (North American base in Plano, Texas)
Employees: 60,000
Major projects: Border-surveillance equipment for European countries.
Border proposal: Focuses on ground-based sensors and radar.
Lockheed Martin Corp.
Headquarters: Bethesda, Md.
Employees: 135,000
Major projects: Joint Strike Fighter, Deepwater Coast Guard program, F-16
Falcon.
Border proposal: Stresses affordability and practicality.
Northrop Grumman Corp.
Headquarters: Los Angeles
Employees: 120,000
Major projects: B-2 bomber, Navy aircraft carriers, Global Hawk unmanned
aerial vehicle.
Border proposal: Looking at spectrum of lasers, unmanned aerial vehicles and
radar.
Raytheon Co.
Headquarters: Waltham, Mass.
Employees: 80,000
Major projects: Tomahawk and Patriot missiles.
Border proposal: Cites experience with security in Brazil.
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Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
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| User: "Xeno Chauvin" |
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| Title: Re: Boeing eyes billion-dollar deal to watch border |
18 Aug 2006 01:21:19 PM |
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"Mobius" <mobius@nospam.please> wrote in message
news:44e5d15a$0$15913$88260bb3@free.teranews.com...
Boeing bids for border security deal
NOW we might see some "border control".
I knew that as soon as Wall Street could figure out HOW
to make a buck,without employing illegals, there
would be something done.
Ain't 'merica great?!
Xeno
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| User: "Robert not Roberto" |
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| Title: Re: Boeing eyes billion-dollar deal to watch border |
19 Aug 2006 11:19:11 AM |
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"Xeno Chauvin" <arfulbrank@houston.rr.com> wrote in message
news:zynFg.12689$3l.6593@tornado.texas.rr.com...
"Mobius" <mobius@nospam.please> wrote in message
news:44e5d15a$0$15913$88260bb3@free.teranews.com...
Boeing bids for border security deal
NOW we might see some "border control".
I knew that as soon as Wall Street could figure out HOW
to make a buck,without employing illegals, there
would be something done.
Ain't 'merica great?!
Yes it is.
.
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| User: "H. Reader" |
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| Title: Re: Boeing eyes billion-dollar deal to watch border |
19 Aug 2006 02:49:34 PM |
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"Mobius" <mobius@nospam.please> wrote in message news:44e5d15a$0$15913$88260bb3@free.teranews.com...
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/nation/story/8833BFFC426691DF862571CC001904B1?OpenDocument
Boeing bids for border security deal
By Philip Dine
POST-DISPATCH WASHINGTON BUREAU
08/15/2006
WASHINGTON
Boeing wants to guard the nation's borders - for a couple of billion
dollars.
A couple of billion dollars is a bargain in comparison to the yearly
cost of the illegals colonizing this country.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Boeing eyes billion-dollar deal to watch border |
18 Aug 2006 05:01:01 PM |
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What a friggen joke. This is just a way for the Federal Gov't to buy
another 5 years of rampant illegal immigration into the USA. There
will be a bidding process (1 year), contract awarding (4 months), and 4
years to develop, then they will be behind scheadule and will want more
money, it won't work, bla bla bla. During that time, another 20
million wetbacks will have poured into this country... this is exactly
what Bush wants.
If President mother fucker (ie. Bush) was serious about border security
he'd send the U.S. military to the border immediately.
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