DHS Plans Experiment Running ‘Reconnaissance’ Drones Along the US-Canada Border

The U.S. DHS and Canada’s defense research agency plan ACE-CASPER, a November cross-border drone drill over the US-Canada border.

The exercise will test autonomous drones and ground vehicles sending live video and sensor data through commercial 5G networks.

Officials frame it as an emergency-response scenario, but DHS also highlights surveillance and battlefield-intelligence uses.

It would be the first joint cross-border tech test in nearly a decade, reviving work last seen under the CAUSE program.

The trial could influence future border-security, emergency-response, and military-style drone deployments in civilian settings.