The State Department has approved a potential foreign military sale to Egypt of a Border Security Mobile Surveillance Sensor Security System worth about $100 million.
The main contractors for the pending sale are Lockheed Martin [LMT], Northrop Grumman [NOC], and DRS Technologies, which is a U.S.-based division of Italy’s Finmeccanica. A spokesman for the department declined to say what systems and capabilities each company will be providing.
The systems and capabilities include one commercial off-the-shelf border security mobile surveillance sensor security system consisting of various sub-systems, including mobile surveillance sensor towers, mobile command and control (C2) systems, a regional C2 system, voice/data communications equipment, spare parts, support equipment, personnel training, training equipment and technical documents, and logistics and program support.
The surveillance system will bolster Egypt’s border security capabilities along its border with Libya and elsewhere. The system will be used by the Egyptian Border Guard Forces, which currently lack any remote detection capability along unpatrolled areas of the country’s borders, the State Department says, adding that the system will provide an early warning capability to allow for faster response times to mitigate threats to border guards and civilians.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress of the possible sale.
DRS has experience with border security systems in the Middle East having provided capabilities for a portion of Jordan’s border with its neighbors.