SBInet

Complete control of the border of the United States is one of the key mission objectives of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS is accountable for developing an operating system to control the border that provides absolute detection, identification, response, and resolution to unauthorized border entries. For this program, the DHS industry partner will assist the DHS in executing its border control responsibility. DHS through its designated executive agent, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), conducted a competition to establish a performance-based contractual relationship that provides the Department with an effective and efficient solution to secure the borders of the United States of America (USA).

The Statement of Objectives (SOO) identifies the SBInet program objectives. The objectives form the basis for the scope of this effort and are applicable for the full term of the SBInet integration contract. The Statement of Objectives provides the SBInet contractor with the programmatic outcomes required by DHS and CBP. Furthermore, it sets forth the framework for establishing the partnership between the DHS/CBP and the integration contractor.

SBInet is the program component of the Secure Border Initiative (SBI) assigned to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that is responsible for integrating personnel, infrastructure, technologies, and rapid response capability into a comprehensive border protection system. By combining existing investments and current security infrastructure with state-of-the-art technologies, best practices, and creative thinking, SBInet will provide the blueprint for integrating critical border security components in order to protect U.S. borders.

There are four critical components to gaining control of America's borders - personnel, infrastructure, technology, and rapid response capability. The challenge is to develop an environment in each of these areas that provides an agent all the advantages needed to deny illegal entry. SBInet will be responsible for integrating these four components in order to gain control of the United States borders.

SBI is a comprehensive approach to immigration enforcement. SBI focuses broadly on two major enforcement themes, controlling the border and immigration enforcement within the United States. SBInet will support all components and strategic objectives of SBI by integrating personnel, infrastructure, technology, and rapid response capability into a comprehensive border protection system.

SBI is managed as a whole through the DHS Secure Border Initiative Program Executive Office. SBInet is managed through the SBInet Program Management Office within Customs and Border Protection.

The goal of SBInet is to allow frontline personnel every advantage in securing our borders. SBInet will provide the CBP Border Patrol Agent, the CBP Officer, and the Air and Marine interdiction agents tasked with securing the borders of the United States, with every advantage in denying the illegal entry of people and contraband into the country. Through the right mix of personnel, infrastructure, technology and rapid response capability, SBInet will give our frontline the best possible environment to effectively detect, identify and classify, respond to, and resolve the situation with the appropriate law enforcement.

SBInet will serve to further the goals of the SBI. SBInet will steward investment in the SBI goals toward maximum effectiveness. The strategy for SBInet is to base it upon a blueprint consisting of reference models that define and integrate the roles of personnel, infrastructure, technology and rapid response capability. SBInet will use the blueprint to accelerate delivery of SBInet within a framework of best practices, rigorous governance, and accountable management. SBInet will intelligently and judiciously leverage existing assets and lessons learned. SBInet will maximize the potential for success by relying on industry as a full partner for its domain knowledge, trusted counsel, creative thinking, and ability to execute.

CBP understands that protecting the United States borders is a complex challenge, with national security, technical, cultural, economic, environmental, political, judicial, and diplomatic dimensions. CBP understands that it will require all of the best thinking, the best technologies, and the best practices available to mount a comprehensive response to the scope of this challenge. CBP challenges industry to develop a blueprint for SBInet consisting of reference models that define and integrate the roles of personnel, infrastructure, technology, and rapid response capabilities within a comprehensive border protection system. CBP is challenging industry to lead the deployment of SBInet according to the blueprint. CBP is seeking to judiciously leverage existing assets and resources with industry.

The SBI is a comprehensive approach to immigration enforcement. The SBI focuses broadly on two major enforcement themes, controlling the border and immigration enforcement within the USA. It has two pillars: border control and enforcement within the USA. Border control means gaining full control of US borders, so DHS can prevent illegal immigration as well as security breaches. Enforcement inside the USA means locating and removing aliens who are present in the USA in violation of our laws. This pillar is tied to the President's proposal for a temporary worker program, which will make broader and more aggressive enforcement practical.

In developing the SBI, DHS is taking an integrated systems approach to the problem. The entire immigration enforcement system requires review, beginning with the gathering of immigration-specific intelligence and the detection of illegal border crossings, followed by apprehension, processing, transportation, and detention of the alien, and ending with the alien's removal from the USA. Adding agents at the border is insufficient unless we also can give them the technology they need and unless we contain and remove the aliens they catch. A systematic approach will deploy all of these tools in stages, allowing each stage to build on the success of earlier stages.

On 21 September 2006, DHS announced the award of a contract with the Boeing Co. to implement SBInet along the United States northern and southern borders. The Boeing-led SBInet team includes the following major contractors:

DRS Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group (Palm Bay, Fla.) -- DRS Technologies, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., is a leading supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies and prime contractors worldwide.

Kollsman (Merrimack, N.H.) -- Kollsman, Inc., an Elbit Systems of America company is a multi-disciplined research, development, manufacturing and support organization that provides advanced electro-optical and avionics systems to U.S. and foreign commercial and military markets.

L-3 Communications (Washington, D.C.) -- L-3 Government Services, Inc., is a provider of advanced integrated security suites designed to counter the variety of criminal and terrorist threats facing our nation. L-3 Communication Systems -- West, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a leader in communication systems for intelligence collection, imagery processing and satellite communications.

Perot Systems (Plano, Texas)-- Perot Systems is a worldwide provider of information technology services and business solutions. Through its flexible and collaborative approach, Perot Systems integrates expertise from across the company to deliver custom solutions that enable clients to accelerate growth, streamline operations and create new levels of customer value.

Unisys Global Public Sector (Reston, Va.) -- Unisys Global Public Sector has expertise in homeland security and law enforcement information systems and information technology infrastructure, engineering, operations and maintenance.