Lockheed Martin [LMT] in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate is developing a tunnel location capability using ground penetrating radar mounted in a trailer towed by a truck operated by Border Patrol agents. The radar’s electromagnetic waves penetrate the earth, with tunnels showing up as red, yellow and aquamarine dots against a blue background. The agents would see the images on a monitor inside their truck. The radar is already used by civil engineers to detect cables and pipes that may be a few meters beneath the earth. DHS, however, needs to be able to find tunnels that can be much deeper, so the radar uses much lower frequencies that can penetrate the ground much deeper, and uses a new imaging technology that can display clear pictures of deep tunnels. An early scale model of the tunnel finding prototype was introduced this spring. This summer the system will be sent to the Southwest U.S. for testing on the border. Separating tunnels from rocks, plants, and other objects on or buried shallowly in the ground will be a key test. S&T originally investigated using unmanned aircraft equipped with radars to fly along the border searching for tunnels but has moved this to the backburner because most tunnels are located in urban areas airborne radar could potentially pose privacy concerns if they cross into someone’s home. The Border Patrol finds a new tunnel about once a month, either through law enforcement work or by chance, S&T says.