American Military News July 02, 2020 Ryan Morgan
The Trump administration announced Thursday they have already put up dozens of high-tech surveillance towers to detect border crossing attempts along remote sections of the U.S.-Mexico border and plans for 200 within the next two years.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson described the surveillance towers, known as the Autonomous Surveillance Towers (AST) system, in a statement provided to American Military News. The towers employ a radar system to detect movement, after which the tower points a camera to the location of the movement detected and uses an algorithm to identify people and vehicles potentially approaching the border.
The tower is designed to alert border patrol agents to the location of a crossing attempt and potentially intercept those attempting to cross. The spokesperson said the towers scanning, detection and alert are “nearly instantaneous.â€
The spokesperson said the towers provide a 3-mile in diameter circle of surveillance, effectively allowing surveillance for up to 1.5-miles in any direction, including south of the U.S. border.
“The coverage may be adjusted, as required to accommodate the terrain/environment and mission,†the CBP spokesperson said. “The autonomous scanning of the towers enables agents to carry out regular duties without being tied to a desk staring at monitor screens,†the spokesperson said.
More:
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/07/trump-admin-announces-high-tech-surveillance-towers-on-us-mexico-border/
