Advanced Communications Experiment – Cross-border Autonomous Vehicle Session Persistence Experiment and Research

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, in partnership with Defence Research and Development Canada’s Centre for Security Science, is conducting the 2026 Advanced Communications Experiment – Cross-border Autonomous Vehicle Session Persistence Experiment and Research (ACE-CASPER), a bi-national field demonstration along the U.S.-Canada border to evaluate secure, resilient 5G communications for emergency response. The experiment will involve autonomous vehicles and unmanned aerial systems equipped with 3GPP Release 18+ 5G modems, electro-optical and infrared cameras, environmental sensors, and beyond visual line of sight capabilities, all operating within a 5 km range and 100 meter altitude limit while sustaining 30 minutes of flight time in cold weather conditions. The primary goal is to validate persistent 5G session continuity across U.S. and Canadian networks, seamless command and control handoffs, and real-time data interoperability between agencies without requiring autonomous decision-making or AI navigation. All systems must be interoperable with open standards and integrated into a shared bi-national command center, with participants required to demonstrate compatibility with other vendors’ equipment during testing scheduled between spring and fall 2026. Participation is not based on a traditional procurement or contract award; instead, it operates under a Limited Purpose Cooperative Research and Development Agreement that involves no financial exchange, with organizations covering all associated costs. Respondents must submit a completed application form by the deadline of May 18, 2026, via email to NGFR@hq.dhs.gov, and may optionally include a 5-page whitepaper. Technical eligibility requires FAA Part 107 pilot certification, VTOL capability, and compliance with frequency bands including n71, n28, n41, n78, n258, and n260. Proprietary information must be clearly marked in submissions, and participants must agree to share data with DHS and allow their systems to be tested alongside other participants’ technologies — refusal to integrate disqualifies applicants. Intellectual property rights are subject to mutual agreement between the participant and DHS, with no liability assumed by the government for damage caused during testing. The experiment will conclude with potential extended evaluation opportunities for technologies left with first responder partners for up to six months, and all collected data will be shared with participants. No security clearances, UEI/CAGE codes, socioeconomic certifications, or formal evaluation weights are required for submission.