Border patrol receives unexpected technology boost.NOGALES Nogales (nōgä`lās), city (1990 pop. 19,489), Santa Cruz co., S Ariz. on the Mexican border with its adjacent city, Nogales (1990 pop. 105,873), Sonora, NW Mexico. There are copper, silver, and lead mines. , Ariz. -- Hundreds of obsolete Javelin missile There are two missiles named Javelin.
The Javelin is an anti-tank missile that is used by the Army and Marine Corps and produced in a joint venture by Raytheon Corp. and Lockheed Martin For the former company, see . Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. Corp. Agent Jim Hawkins This article is about the British radio presenter. For the protagonist of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, see Treasure Island#Main characters. Jim Hawkins is a radio presenter for BBC Radio Shropshire 96FM. , a spokesman for the Tucson sector, said the Border Patrol received a call last year from Raytheon executives who are based at the company's missile systems division in Tucson, Ariz. They asked if the agency would be interested in putting the missile's night vision sights to use protecting the southern border. The Army had several hundred units from an early version of the missile that were deemed obsolete. They couldn't be exported and were considered white elephants. After hearing what the company had to offer, the answer was an unequivocal "yes," Hawkins said. "It was a tremendous deal for us. We're basically getting a top notch night sight for a mere pittance pit·tance n. 1. A meager monetary allowance, wage, or remuneration. 2. A very small amount: not a pittance of remorse. ," Hawkins said. The Border Patrol only has to supply the batteries. Military features such as triggering devices were taken off the units. The agency received about 200 units--of which about half are being saved for spare parts Spare parts, also referred to as Service Parts is a term used to indicate extra parts available and in proximity to the mechanical item, such as a automobile, boat, engine, for which they might be used. Spare parts are also called “spares. , he said. The sights were "designed for battle. We know it's durable," Hawkins added. The agency also had to find a practical way to deploy them in the field. The sights, which weigh several pounds, could be lifted to the eyes with two hands, but not for long without tiring the operator's arms. They were designed to quickly find and destroy armored vehicles, not for "persistent stare" capabilities. National Guard members detailed to Operation Jump Start--the temporary deployment of National Guard to bolster the southern border--jury-rigged tripods so they could be used in the field. Randy Handel, a member of the South Dakota 114th Fighter Wing and the non-commissioned officer in charge The designation Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, usually abbreviated to NCOIC, signifies an individual in the enlisted ranks of a military unit who has limited command authority over others in the unit. of the operation's Tucson sector, searched local stores to find tripods and other pieces to fully convert the sights for the Border Patrol. Guardsmen and Border Patrol agents are currently using the sights to search for illegal aliens or drug smugglers attempting to cross the border. |
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