CACI International (NYSE: CACI) said the U.S. Department of War has awarded a contract to deploy SkyValor, its transportable counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS), along the Southern Border — a decision that also moves the platform into full-rate production. Announced on July 13, 2026, the contract marks the platform's transition from operational testing to fielded homeland defense duty.
From Pentagon Validation To Border Deployment
The Southern Border award follows the Pentagon's Joint Interagency Task Force 401 validation of SkyValor in June for joint-force use, which cleared the system for broader deployment. CACI President and CEO John Mengucci said the company is now ramping manufacturing to "deliver this capability at the speed our customers need," pointing to the shifting drone threat facing border patrols, forward bases and critical infrastructure.
What SkyValor Brings To The Border
SkyValor fuses radar, passive radio-frequency detection and electro-optical/infrared sensors with an automated engagement chain designed to counter Group 1-5 drones. The system's transportable footprint lets units re-position it as smuggling routes and reconnaissance patterns shift, and it is engineered to defeat both traditional RF-controlled drones and cellular-linked UAVs that ride 4G and 5G networks — a class of threat that has grown as cartels and militant groups swap consumer quadcopters for network-connected variants.
Counter-Drone Contracts Keep Piling Up
The award is the latest in a run of Pentagon counter-drone wins, following AeroVironment's $500M layered defense deal and the Titan MS air-base program. Together, they show DoW leaning on multiple prime contractors to industrialise counter-UAS capability across the homeland. The tempo also matches recent laser weapon awards — Lockheed and nLIGHT split $86M in early July for high-energy laser prototypes aimed at the same threat set.
Reporting based on coverage from CACI, Army Recognition and WashingtonExec.