Under the CBP lease contract, EFW and Elbit Systems provide UAV's, ground control stations, operational crews and support personnel for UAV flight support of border patrol operations. This initial pilot program, which is focused on the Arizona border with Mexico, may be extended into next year and may be expanded by CBP to include the northern US border with Canada.

The ABCI initiative is intended to provide improved surveillance along the Mexican border for various homeland security applications, including illegal immigration and drug smuggling. The UAVs will supplement manned aircraft and ground sensors with flight operation scheduled for the summer of 2004.

The Hermes 450 Unmanned Air Vehicles are equipped with electro-optic sensors and communications payloads providing day and night imagery to Customs and Border Protection agents. The UAVs permit greater coverage and quicker response in the rugged, desolate areas of the southwest border and are the first operational use of UAVs for border patrol in the USA.

EFW's President, Tim Taylor, commented: " We are pleased to be supporting this important effort by providing this valuable technology and operating expertise to help the Department of Homeland Security detect and respond to border incidents."

"Our corporation brings extensive experience in the use of UAVs and associated security systems specifically designed for border protection and we believe that the UAV's will become an integral and successful part of the homeland security front."

Elbit Systems is the primary supplier of tactical UAVs to the Israel Ministry of Defense. Elbit Systems' Unmanned Air Vehicles and its other Border Security systems are used extensively worldwide.

The Hermes UAV family comprises new-generation unmanned aircraft designed for real time imaging and data distribution, capable of carrying multiple payloads, featuring fully redundant avionics and providing mission flexibility with exceptional reliability.

During the last twelve months, the Hermes 450 UAV system has been successfully supporting the US Government Joint UAV test and evaluation operations at NAS Fallon, Nevada.

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