Officials admit they misjudged difficulty of virtual fence work

Homeland Security Department and industry officials told lawmakers Wednesday that integrating technology to develop a virtual border fence has proved to be more challenging than expected, leading to technical glitches and ongoing schedule delays.

The department's so-called SBInet program already has been delayed more than four months, prompting concern on Capitol Hill that the effort could fall apart like previous expensive and risky border security efforts.

The department hired the contractor Boeing Integrated Defense Systems to develop the program, which is supposed to use technology, personnel, fencing and other infrastructure to control the borders. Boeing officials acknowledged in written testimony that they should have been more upfront with lawmakers about "the inherent schedule and performance risks associated with a demonstration program of this kind."

The first phase of the program calls for securing 28 miles of desert in Arizona. Gregory Giddens, the program's executive director, told lawmakers that most of the technical issues with that phase have been resolved. He said Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection agency has begun certification and accreditation testing, and anticipates completing testing in November.

"CBP has provided Boeing with a list of deficiencies and direction on the path forward, and Boeing has expressed its commitment to fixing the system and delivering an operational capability to CBP," Giddens said during a joint hearing of the House Homeland Security Border Subcommittee and Management Subcommittee.

Department and Boeing officials previously have touted the SBInet program as being lower in risk than previous border security programs because it uses readily available technology rather than trying to develop new technology. But Giddens and Boeing officials told lawmakers they underestimated the challenge.

"Integrating complex, off-the-shelf technology that has never before been integrated has proven to be a challenge and has resulted in technological difficulties which have delayed CBP's acceptance of the system," Giddens said. He added that the current phase "has not been accepted by the government, and will not be accepted until Boeing resolves a number of integration and software issues."

Patience is also growing thin on the Hill for results. "I am extremely dismayed, to put it mildly," said House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.

"We were told that this time around, the outcome would be very different, partly because the department has learned valuable lessons from prior mistakes," he added. "I have a growing sense of deja vu." The government "cannot continue to throw good taxpayer money after bad."

The Government Accountability Office also reported Wednesday that other efforts under SBInet are likely to slip in schedule, and costs could increase, mainly because the department plans to use commercial labor.

The cost of the first phase is $20 million and is not expected to increase, Giddens said. He added that the experience will benefit other efforts.