Telephonics to help Customs with ground surveillance

Telephonics Corp. will supply a fully integrated mobile ground surveillance radar system to the Customs and Border Protection agency under a new $14.5 million contract.

The General Services Administration awarded the contract on behalf of Customs and Border Protection, the company said.

The award is for a Mobile Surveillance System for the U.S. border, which includes ground surveillance radar, infrared sensors, geographic positioning system location data and a common operating picture. The company describes the system as easily deployable and highly mobile.

"Our Mobile Surveillance System provides the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in the field with an enhanced capability that will help them accomplish their mission of securing our nation's borders," Donald Pastor, president at Telephonics' Electronic Systems Division, said in a statement announcing the deal.

It was not immediately clear how Telephonics' mobile surveillance system fits in with Customs and Border Protection existing contract to implement the Secure Border Initiative Network surveillance system. That comprehensive contract was awarded to Boeing Co. last year. Final testing is supposed to be completed soon on the first phase of SBInet.

A Telephonics spokesman said he did not know whether the company's system would be part of, or an alternative to, SBInet, and whether it is being considered for future phases of SBInet. "I don't know how it fits into the scheme of things," said spokesman Howard Mercer. CBP and Boeing officials were not immediately available for comment.

Telephonics of Farmingdale, N.Y, is a unit of Griffon Corp. of Jericho, N.Y.