How Drone Boats Are Working As Patrols On The Southern Border
Key takeaways
- Aerospace & Defense How Drone Boats Are Working As Patrols On The Southern Border By Zita Ballinger Fletcher,
- The Defense Department disclosed that manufacturer Seasats is supplying the task force with its solar-powered Lightfish vessels for the Southern Border mission.
- A contractor operates a Seasats Lightfish, an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), in the Rio Grande river in Texas in January 2026.
Aerospace & Defense How Drone Boats Are Working As Patrols On The Southern Border By Zita Ballinger Fletcher,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Zita Ballinger Fletcher is a defense technology reporter Follow Author Jun 05, 2026, 07:26pm EDTJun 05, 2026, 08:02pm EDTTexas State Troopers patrol the Rio Grande at the U.S.-Mexico border on August 18, 2016, a corridor long used by drug trafficking vessels. Now autonomous surface vessels, widely known as drone boats, are actively monitoring the area. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThe Pentagon’s Joint Task Force Southern Border, activated in March of last year, is using autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessels, or USVs, to patrol vast stretches of the Rio Grande to deter drug smugglers.
Also known as drone boats, these vessels are working as security patrols alongside law enforcement and military personnel – with the added advantage of finding blind spots and monitoring areas that are difficult to access.