GDIT’s Relocatable Autonomous Surveillance Towers, known as RAST, will be deployed across multiple sites along the southwest border to meet current operational demands. The task order was awarded under the $1.8 billion Consolidated Tower & Surveillance Equipment indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract and has a one-year base period.
The towers are built with commercial technology and use edge AI and machine learning, patented video analytics, and advanced 5G and satellite communications. They are designed 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 long ranges. They prioritize alerts and deliver actionable real-time intelligence to support faster decision-making and improved situational awareness.
GDIT said the systems are intended to reduce operator workloads and enhance the safety of border personnel. The company said this allows agents and other personnel to focus on critical field operations.
The towers are engineered for rapid deployment and scalability. They can also be configured for maritime and cold-weather environments, including regions along the northern U.S. border.
The systems are designed to be future-proof and enabled for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems and other integrations as border threats evolve. GDIT said the technology reflects its investment over the past three years in autonomous surveillance capabilities.
“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.”
The award positions GDIT to support CBP with autonomous surveillance systems that combine artificial intelligence, communications and real-time analytics. The task order also highlights the agency’s use of modern sensing and data tools to support border security operations.
