(FORTUNE Magazine) – Wars need supplies, and as the war on drugs heats up, several U.S. companies are cashing in. The U.S. Customs Service and the Coast Guard have spent almost $450 million on equipment to catch traffickers in the past two years. General Electric has just won a contract worth up to $190 million for four aerostats, radar-carrying tethered balloons. Aerostats fly as high as 15,000 feet and track boats, cars, and low-flying aircraft within 160 nautical miles. Two Westinghouse Electric balloons are already aloft, one above Grand Bahama Island and the other over Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The company will deliver three more by next year. After spotting the dopesters, there's the matter of catching them. Cessna Aircraft Citations, Piper Aircraft Cheyennes, and Sikorski Aircraft Black Hawk helicopters intercept planes. Customs has spent $22 million on boats in the past three years, helping build a fleet of 270 that includes craft by Boston Whaler, Cigarette Racing Team, Murray Chris-Craft, Hatteras Yachts, and Aronow Powerboats. Cigarette boats and Blue Thunders hand-built by Aronow are the swiftest, cutting through the water at 70 mph. Price: up to $200,000 each. This is a growth industry. A Senate proposal would double yearly spending for drug control, and nothing suggests that the war will stop escalating soon. Laments a Customs official: ''Drug runners find out what our latest equipment is and either find a way to foil it or get something better.''