Demonstration Takes Place Saturday At The American Border Patrol Test Range

An electronic border security system recently used to detect drones will be demonstrated by American Border Patrol (ABP) for U.S. Senate candidates today at a test site at the Arizona/Mexico border. Three of the five listed Arizona candidates have said they will attend the demonstration.

The system, called SEIDARM, was recently used with a special sensor called MAUI to detect a small, unmanned aerial system (sUAS) – or drone - crossing the "border."

Saturday's demonstration will show exactly where the MAUI sensor detected the sUAS. Live demonstrations of SEIDARM including MAUI may be set for a later date.

During today's demonstration, SEIDARM will direct drones called HERMES to intercept people and vehicles along a one-mile stretch of sensors.

SEIDARM can detect one person walking at five hundred feet, compared to 40 feet for existing Border Patrol ground sensors. It can distinguish between people, vehicles and aircraft. The system is buried and solar-powered and can provide seamless protection on the entire border - at a small fraction of the cost of a wall.

"This technology does not necessarily replace a real wall, but it can perform like a stop-gap virtual fence until a real wall is ready by assuring detection of all intrusions," ABP president Glenn Spencer said. "And," Spencer added, "it can tell the where a real physical barrier is needed most – and how it is working once installed." The technology can provide a long-sought-after metric of border security, Spencer said.

The demonstration will be conducted this morning at 10 a.m. local time at the American Border Patrol Test Range in Hereford, AZ.

(Source: American Border Patrol news release. Image from ABP Facebook page)

FMI: www.facebook.com/Seidarm