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Wed, Aug 31, 2005

Border Patrol Buys UAV

Predator B Will Look For Drug And Human Smugglers

The US Border Patrol says it's acquired a Predator B UAV and will send it to the US-Mexican border. There, it will look for smugglers of both drugs and human beings.

The deployment of the $14.1 million vehicle comes after the General Atomics aircraft was pitted against Elbit Systems' Hermes aircraft and Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Hunter during trials last year. Those tests alone resulted in the arrests of 1,280 suspected smugglers and illegal immigrants, as well as the confiscation of 2,800 pounds of marijuana.

The Predator B, with a 66-foot wingspan and able to stay aloft for 30-hours at a time, will begin patrols along the border between Mexico and Arizona early next month. That's thought to be the area where more illegal immigrants and drug smugglers cross over than anywhere else along the border, according to the Patrol.

If this first deployment succeeds, the General Atomics contract calls for the Border Patrol to purchase another UAV after one year, according to the San Diego-based company.

FMI: www.uav.com/aero.html 

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