Border security is an essential part of national security and plays a critical role in keeping countries safe. Given the vast amount of diverse terrain shared by neighboring countries, it’s vital to have robust border security to give border security officials the advantage over those seeking to access a country through improper avenues. More than ever, integrated, innovative, and undetectable solutions are required to solve complex border security challenges.

A Need for Enhanced Security

In the early 21st century, border security has become a significant concern worldwide. In the United States, the challenge is to secure over 9,000 miles of land borders with Canada and Mexico. Domestic and global border security challenges include:

●     Containing illegal immigration

●     Monitoring maritime traffic in coastal waters

●     Controlling the movement of goods across borders

●     Conducting security along lengthy borders across diverse landforms and terrain

Borders have become more critical than ever in preventing the spread of disease, stopping illegal immigration, and preventing crime. Walls, fences, and patrols have been erected but require constant security across a large border, leading to a rise in the demand for unattended and autonomous border security solutions.

Securing Borders Globally

With limited human resources, border security officials must rely on a variety of technologies to secure vast and often remote borders. While advanced camera systems and unmanned aerial systems are critical technologies, their usefulness is amplified when a target is identified. That’s where Pathfinder comes in.

Pathfinder offers several advantages over traditional security measures by detecting and monitoring movement. Using machine-learning algorithms, Pathfinder immediately sends an alert to the base station receiver and mobile application when foot or vehicle traffic is detected. Most importantly, Pathfinder can integrate with other sensors to provide autonomous tacking via other sensors such as cameras and UAS.

Pathfinder’s simplified wireless architecture is easy to install and ideal for remote areas. Pathfinder is suitable and effective for various climates and terrain with ruggedized sensors protected from the elements.

Pathfinder can also be integrated with ARA’s ARC4 RECON. ARC4 RECON is helmet-mountable heads-up display that delivers tactical situational awareness, day, or night, right to the human eye. With ARC4 RECON integrated via ATAK or other tactical awareness system, border security can receive real-time updates of target positions.

Mobile security trailers are movable security stations that can be used in various ways to protect an area or asset. They can be equipped with various sensors and surveillance technologies to help detect and assess potential threats, allowing border security to move and expand operations to meet the changing dynamics of the border environment. These trailers are often self-sustaining, allowing them to be placed in remote areas where establishing a stationary station would prove challenging.

ARA’s RAPID Trailer-Based Surveillance System is designed to provide force protection, critical infrastructure protection, and border security. It quickly establishes a security zone for temporary or prolonged operations in austere locations and can be used in surveillance-only mode to monitor specific areas of interest. The system can quickly establish security or surveillance zones and be recovered and redirected post-event. The RAPID trailer can help with border security challenges like illegal crossings and monitoring specific areas of interest, including sensitive installations and natural resources.

The Sentinel security command and control system provides a robust, flexible, and modular solution for automated intruder detection, assessment, and situational awareness. It allows for establishing an almost unlimited number of detection zones to meet operational requirements and seamlessly integrates many commercial-off-the-shelf systems. The intuitive geo-rectified user interface makes it possible for a single operator to manage hundreds of security operations. This allows the latest technology to be integrated into the system as it becomes available, keeping it up to date with the latest threats.

Securing borders is a daunting task, but it is a little less daunting with the help of Applied Research Associates and our cutting-edge security systems. ARA can provide custom solutions that work for your border security needs and integrate with existing systems you already have in place.

See how a military base located on a border leveraged Pathfinder to alert personnel of an intrusion.