U.S. Customs and Border Protection has awarded a $1 million contract to a San Diego company to protect areas along the southern border from cartel drones.
CBP will use Citadel Defense‘s counter-drone technology to prevent drug cartels from employing drones to cross the border in support of drug and human smuggling attempts.
The company’s portable Titan system can identify and classify an approaching drone, then apply precise electronic countermeasures to force it to land or return to its home base. The system reportedly uses artificial intelligence and machine learning.
“Drones have become a greater challenge along the border,” said Citadel CEO Christopher Williams in announced the contract on Thursday. “Citadel’s automated solution provides front-line operators with awareness of drone threats and decision-making to respond faster than the adversary.”
Citadel’s technology is already in use by U.S. Special Forces, all of the military services and the Coast Guard.
