U.S. Customs and Border Protection has awarded General Dynamics Information Technology a $71 million task order to deploy autonomous surveillance towers across multiple sites along the southwest border. The one-year order could reach $115 million and falls under CBP’s broader $1.8 billion Consolidated Tower and Surveillance Equipment contract.
GDIT’s Relocatable Autonomous Surveillance Towers use edge AI, machine learning, video analytics, 5G, and satellite communications to detect, classify, and track items of interest in real time. Unlike traditional systems that require constant operator monitoring, the towers are designed to prioritize alerts and send actionable intelligence to border personnel.
The systems can also be adapted for maritime and cold-weather environments along the northern border. GDIT says the towers are built to support future integrations, including counter-drone capabilities, as operational needs change.
GDIT has spent the past three years developing the technology. Michael Wagner, Vice President of Biometrics, Border and Transportation Security at GDIT, said the company plans to work with CBP to scale deployment so agents can focus more of their time on field operations.