DHS Plans November 5G Drone Trials on US-Canada Border, the First Joint Test in Nearly 10 Years
Updated
Updated · WIRED · May 13
DHS Plans November 5G Drone Trials on US-Canada Border, the First Joint Test in Nearly 10 Years
2 articles · Updated · WIRED · May 13
November trials under DHS and Canada’s DRDC would send autonomous drones and ground vehicles across the border, streaming live video and sensor data over commercial 5G to a joint command center.
ACE-CASPER is framed as a multiday emergency-response exercise, but DHS says the main goal is proving resilient, persistent 5G communications rather than vehicle autonomy itself.
The solicitation also uses military language, asking vendors to show battlefield-intelligence collection and C2ISR capabilities—terms tied to surveillance and targeting systems.
The test comes as DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate expands its domestic counter-drone role under Trump’s 2025 executive order and after launching a police purchasing tool for World Cup host jurisdictions.
Potential bidders include firms linked to Trump family allies or investments, including Anduril—which already holds a $1.1 billion DHS border contract—as US policy increasingly favors American-made drones.
How will a $1.8B investment in 'American-made' drones reshape the future of border surveillance technology?
When autonomous drones patrol the border, what new rules will govern this era of international automated surveillance?
Is commercial 5G secure enough for streaming sensitive 'battlefield intelligence' data across international borders?