Autonomous Surveillance Tower (AST) for Border Security

Summary:

By integrating AI, autonomous systems, and advanced sensors, AST has transformed the way U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) monitors and secures the U.S. border, enabling effective surveillance with minimal human intervention.

Client: 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Problem Statement: 

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection faced significant challenges in monitoring vast and remote border areas. Traditional surveillance systems required extensive manpower, had limited operational capabilities in remote regions, and struggled to provide real-time actionable intelligence. CBP needed a scalable, cost-effective, and autonomous solution to enhance its ability to detect and respond to security threats.

Results: 

• Deployment of 300 Autonomous Surveillance Towers along critical border areas.
• ASTs now provide approximately 30% coverage of the U.S. southern land border. 
• Enhanced situational awareness with 24/7 real-time surveillance and AI-driven insights.
• Shifting thousands of hours of agents’ workload has played a critical role in saving lives and preventing illegal drugs from crossing into the U.S.
• Reduction in human resources required for active monitoring, enabling redeployment to other critical operations.
•  Significant improvement in detection and response times to unauthorized border crossings.
• 5 to 6 times cheaper than legacy systems.

AI Solution Overview:

Anduril Industries partnered with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to develop the Autonomous Surveillance Tower (AST), a technology solution aimed at enhancing border security. 

Anduril’s Sentry Towers, including the AST, are designed to deliver actionable insights to operators rather than overwhelming them with unnecessary data. 

By integrating the advanced capabilities of Lattice with the autonomous functionality of the Sentry system, operators receive real-time intelligence to detect, classify, and track targets effectively. 

This approach reduces the need for manual surveillance, cutting costs and manpower requirements while ensuring operator safety. 

ASTs utilize AI, ML, and computer vision to automatically identify border crossings. This allows Border Patrol Agents to focus on more complex tasks, unlike traditional systems that require manual operation and monitoring for detecting incursions.

References: 

1. Anduril Deploys 300th Autonomous Surveillance Tower (AST), Advancing Capability for Border Security. https://www.anduril.com/article/anduril-deploys-300th-autonomous-surveillance-tower-ast-advancing-capability-for-border-security/
2. President Biden Demanded “High-Tech Capacity” for Border Security. Anduril’s Towers Are Delivering It. https://www.anduril.com/article/president-biden-demanded-high-tech-capacity-for-border-security-anduril-s-towers-are-delivering/

Industry: Border Security and Defense Technology

Vendor: Anduril Industries

Client: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Publication Date: 2024