US-Canada Border Drone Experiment Aims to Test 5G-Enabled Surveillance

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), together with Defense Research and Development Canada (DRDC), will run a multiday exercise called ACE-CASPER in November. Autonomous aerial drones and ground vehicles will travel along the United States-Canada border, streaming live video and sensor data to a bi-national command-and-control center. The primary goal is to demonstrate “resilient, persistent 5G communications,” while secondary objectives include testing vehicle autonomy and “real-time battlefield intelligence” capabilities.

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From 2011 through 2017 the two governments completed five joint drills under the CAUSE program, which tested the sharing of radios, video, and data for emergency responders. ACE-CASPER is the first joint technology test on the border in nearly a decade. DHS’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) was restructured under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in 2025, placing it at the core of the federal domestic counter-drone program.

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• U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Lead U.S. agency coordinating the experiment.

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• Defense Research and Development Canada (DRDC) – Canadian technical partner.

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• Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) – DHS research branch issuing the procurement call.

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• National Urban Security Technology Laboratory – S&T unit that recently launched a counter-drone purchasing tool for police and emergency agencies in Washington, D.C., and the 11 U.S. states hosting FIFA World Cup matches.

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• 2011-2017: Five CAUSE cross-border drills conducted.

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• 2025: Executive order restructures DHS’s domestic counter-drone program.

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• Late October 2025 (approx.): S&T’s National Urban Security Technology Laboratory releases a counter-drone purchasing tool.

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• November 2025: ACE-CASPER drone and vehicle trials scheduled to begin.

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• Five prior CAUSE drills (2011-2017).

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• 11 U.S. states identified for FIFA World Cup-related counter-drone procurement.

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• Multiple autonomous platforms will be tested; exact numbers are not disclosed.

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DHS and DRDC did not respond to requests for comment about the ACE-CASPER exercise. The procurement notice frames the trial as a “national emergency response scenario” and stresses the need for “resilient, persistent 5G communications.” The National Urban Security Technology Laboratory announced a counter-drone purchasing tool aimed at law-enforcement and emergency-response agencies.

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The experiment’s language includes terms traditionally linked to combat operations, such as “real-time battlefield intelligence” and references to “kill chains.” Observers note that this militaristic framing contrasts with the public-safety narrative of search and rescue, raising questions about the intended use of the technology.

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• “simulating a national emergency response scenario,” — U.S. Department of Homeland Security, procurement notice

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• “resilient, persistent 5G communications.” — U.S. Department of Homeland Security, procurement notice

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• “real-time battlefield intelligence.” — U.S. Department of Homeland Security, vendor request

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• “Command and Control: Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance” — U.S. Department of Homeland Security, procurement notice

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A successful demonstration of continuous 5G data links across an international border could shape future emergency-response coordination, border surveillance, and the integration of autonomous systems in civilian contexts. Conversely, the use of combat-oriented terminology may influence public perception and policy debates about the militarization of domestic security tools.

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The ACE-CASPER trials will commence in November, after which DHS will evaluate vendor performance and data-link reliability. Parallel efforts include the rollout of the counter-drone purchasing tool to jurisdictions hosting the upcoming FIFA World Cup matches, potentially expanding the operational footprint of autonomous surveillance technologies.

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