A Boeing Company official in charge of the government's heavily criticized "virtual fence" project says a second section is planned on the Arizona-Mexico border and a third could be tested near Detroit by the end of the year, according to a Friday report.

A program manager for Boeing's Secure Border Initiative project says the company views results of its 20 million dollar prototype virtual fence near Sasabe as a steppingstone success, despite widespread criticism.

The prototype is set to be replaced this summer.

The nine movable towers across a 28-mile area southwest of Tucson are to be torn down this summer because the prototype failed to perform as expected.

Before it comes down a permanent string of about 17 towers anchoring upgraded radar and cameras and new, microwave-based communications gear will be built.

Boeing was paid 20 million dollars by the Department of Homeland Security to build the fence last summer.

Boeing expects to start building an additional 30 miles of new virtual fencing in southern Arizona's Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument later this year.