Mentioned:No public companies identified$100M · Contract Award
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has forecast a $100 million requirement for maritime surveillance systems to protect U.S. coastlines. The systems combine commercial off-the-shelf maritime search radar, electro-optical and infrared cameras, and encrypted automatic identification system receivers.
What's happening
- CBP's Air and Marine Operations published a $100M+ requirement forecast on the DHS acquisition planning system on September 18, 2026.
- Each maritime approaches surveillance system (MAST) integrates commercial maritime surface search radars, EO/IR cameras, encrypted AIS receivers, mission management software and payload platforms.
- Solicitation is estimated for December 1, 2026, with contract award anticipated in Q3 FY2027 and performance running through January 16, 2032.
- Systems deploy on elevated terrain using towers, monopoles, tripods or buildings to maximize overlapping radar and camera coverage.
Why it matters
- Maritime surveillance fills a capacity gap in CBP's Border Surveillance Systems program, extending sensor coverage to coastal and marine approaches along U.S. boundaries.
- Continuous operation with commercial or solar power and generator backup enables persistent maritime domain awareness without constant manned patrols.
- Data integration into DHS-accredited networks to authorized operations centers consolidates vessel tracking intelligence across multiple deployment sites.
- The 5.5-year performance period through January 2032 supports steady-state operations after rapid initial deployment and fielding.
Going deeper
- CBP previously tested maritime systems off the California coast and at the eastern end of Lake Erie and western end of Lake Ontario under earlier Border Surveillance Systems evaluations.
- The DHS Science and Technology Directorate developed a Coastal Surveillance System with web-based architecture that fused feeds from local and regional sensors into an unclassified vessel-tracking engine, with an initial version installed at CBP's Air and Marine Operations Center in December 2012.
- Systems must withstand coastal and marine environmental conditions while running on commercial or solar power with generator backup.
Financial impact
- The $100M+ ceiling value will be recognized as revenue over the five-year-plus performance period from Q3 FY2027 through January 16, 2032.
- Contract type and vehicle remain undetermined, affecting how obligated funds will be structured and recognized in quarterly financials.
- Timing not disclosed for obligated funds at award, which determines the initial revenue recognition amount.
The fine print
- CBP has not settled on a contract type or vehicle as of the forecast publication date.
- The $100M figure is a forecast requirement and not a binding commitment until contract award in Q3 FY2027.
- Performance extends through January 16, 2032, spanning more than five years and potentially multiple fiscal year appropriations.
Source: GovCon Wire · Sep 18, 2026 · Drafted with Claude, reviewed by Industrial Base Alpha.