General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) was awarded a $265.5 million Department of Homeland Security / Customs and Border Protection contract modification on March 31, 2026 — published on SAM.gov. The hybrid cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price sole-source action builds on the original March 2022 base contract, awarded by CBP's air and marine contracting division. Coverage from GovCon Wire and the SAM.gov posting.
What's in scope
- Additional MQ-9B unmanned aircraft
- Replacement aircraft
- Spare parts
- System upgrades
- Software support
- Pilot and mission-payload operator services
- Ground-facility maintenance
- Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER) system
Why this matters
VADER is the wide-area surveillance sensor that turns an MQ-9B from a strike platform into a persistent border-surveillance node. The CBP MQ-9B fleet is one of the largest civilian-agency UAS programs in the world. The sole-source structure means tier-2 supplier relationships established with GA-ASI carry forward.
What to do
- SATCOM, sensor, and ground-control-station vendors: GA-ASI's CBP program is a steady multi-year pipe
- If you supply the DoD MQ-9 program: CBP's MQ-9B is technically distinct (longer endurance, civil airspace cert) — separate qualification path
