The lawmakers, all Democrats from states that border Canada, had asked for the beefed-up surveillance in a February letter to US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York said Napolitano had indicated during a Senate Judiciary Committee that she was working to deploy the radar and called it "a critical step in the right direction."

"We have a long way to go when it comes to securing our Northern Border and keeping drugs out of bordering states," said Schumer, who vowed to press the department "to install these radars as quickly as possible."

In the hearing, Napolitano herself stopped well short of explicitly announcing such a step, though she did agree with Schumer that such a deployment would be a good idea.

She assured Schumer that her department was "working with" the Pentagon and the US military's Northern Command "on radar and other related issues and technologies in efforts on the northern border."

Asked whether that meant the deployment would go forward, Napolitano replied "this is moving very rapidly."

The group also included Senators Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Jon Tester of Montana, and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who joined Schumer in the announcement.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Orbital Launches PTV For Missile Defense Test Ship to bolster Europe's missile defenses: US Ukraine's Role In European Missile Defense Not Yet Discussed Israel successfully tests Arrow anti-missile system Guardian Anti-Missile System Flight-Tested On A KC-135 Northrop Grumman Submits Final Proposal Revision for MDA's Next Gen Aegis Missile Second Successful PAC-3 MSE Intercept Flight Test Russia vows to sell missiles to Syria One Step Closer To Demonstrating Autonomous Aerial Refueling Between Two UAV Second Orbital Test Vehicle X-37B Begins Flight Fire Scout Completes First Unmanned Test Flights On Littoral Combat Ship K-MAX Achieves Numerous Firsts During Recent Demo Flights InterSKY 4M Provides BLOS Comms For C4I Military Systems LockMart Wins Role On Navy C4ISR Services Contract ONR Moves A Modular Space Communications Asset Into Unmanned Aircraft For Marines Northrop Grumman Next-Gen FBCB2 System Approved For Fielding LockMart Completes C4ISR Mission System Delivery For Coast Guard Surveillance Aircraft Raytheon Awarded Contract For USAF HH-60G FLIRs Boeing Begins Final Assembly Of First P-8A Poseidon Production Aircraft New Design Of Through-Wall Radar Enables Increased Covert Surveillance Russia could 'swap US spy for Bout': report UK's High Military Spending Attracts Stakeholders In Land Defence Market Pentagon accounting problems 'serious': Treasury Finmeccanica eyes Turkish defense deals Australia's Gillard to US: Don't fear China's rise First Chinese American named Beijing envoy Chinese military growing fast but concerns 'regional': IISS US Senators mostly warm to new China pick Scientists Build World's First Anti-Laser Yale scientists build 'anti-laser' 'Air laser' could find bombs at a distance ONR Achieves Milestone In Free Electron Laser Program