Towers integrate advanced artificial intelligence, 5G and satellite communication capabilities to enhance situational awareness along the southwest border
FALLS CHURCH, Va. – General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), announced today that it was awarded a $71 million task order, with a potential total value of $115 million, by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for next-generation autonomous surveillance towers that strengthen the nation’s border security.
GDIT’s Relocatable Autonomous Surveillance Towers (RAST) will be deployed across multiple sites along the southwest border to meet current operational demands. The task order, awarded under the $1.8 billion Consolidated Tower & Surveillance Equipment (CTSE) indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract, has a one-year base period.
Built with commercial technology, these towers employ 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 towers autonomously monitor their environment over a long range, prioritize alerts and deliver actionable real-time intelligence. This 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, these towers can also be configured for a range of operational environments, including maritime and cold-weather regions along the northern U.S. border. The towers are designed to be future-proof and enabled for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems and other integrations 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.”
GDIT is a business unit of General Dynamics, a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 110,000 people worldwide and generated $52.6 billion in revenue in 2025. More information about General Dynamics Information Technology is available at www.gdit.com. More information about General Dynamics is available at www.gd.com.
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Oliver Nutt
Oliver.Nutt@gdit.com