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The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has awarded General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) a $71 million task order to deploy next-generation autonomous surveillance towers designed to strengthen border security.
The contract, which features a one-year base period, has a potential total value of $115 million and was awarded under the $1.8 billion Consolidated Tower & Surveillance Equipment (CTSE) indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract. GDIT, a business unit of global aerospace and defense company General Dynamics, will deploy its Relocatable Autonomous Surveillance Towers (RAST) across multiple sites along the southwest border to meet current operational demands. General Dynamics, which employs more than 110,000 people worldwide, generated $52.6 billion in revenue in 2025.
Built with commercial technology, these modern surveillance towers utilize edge AI, machine learning, patented video analytics, and advanced 5G and satellite communication capabilities to detect, identify, classify, and track items of interest in real time. Unlike traditional surveillance systems that require constant operator oversight, the RAST system autonomously monitors the environment over a long range, prioritizes alerts, and delivers actionable real-time intelligence. This automation reduces operator workloads, accelerates decision-making, enhances situational awareness and safety, and allows border personnel to focus on critical field operations.
Engineered for rapid deployment and scalability, the towers can be configured for various operational environments, including maritime and cold-weather regions along the northern U.S. border. The platforms are designed to be future-proof, enabling integration with Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems and other capabilities as border threats evolve.
“This administration has made it a priority to secure the border and bring emerging technology to their missions,” said Michael Wagner, GDIT’s vice president of Biometrics, Border & Transportation Security. “We have invested over the last three years to develop these autonomous surveillance towers, and we look forward to partnering with CBP to rapidly scale and deploy these towers so border agents can carry out their missions more effectively.”
