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The US Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) program to patrol the US/Mexican border using unmanned aircraft took off with a demonstration flight of its newest Predator MQ-9 at Ft. Huachuca, on 30 October 2006. The new predator is expected to become operational a week later, flying six hours a day, eventually expanding its daily patrol time to 12 hours.

The Secure Border Initiative (SBI), a part of the America's Shield initiative's expansion is a five-year program of the Department of Homeland Security that aims to thoroughly secure the northern and southern US border by deploying more personnel, adopting new technologies, and improving infrastructure. Operational control of the border would also be achieved by a greater use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and net-generation detection systems.

The market forecasting company Input of Reston, Virginia said the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is planned to award three major information technology contracts with a combined value of $50 billion in FY 2006. DHS has planned a ceiling value of $45 billion spread over seven years for one of the contracts dubbed the Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions (EAGLE), which would make it DHS' biggest contract yet, for surpassing the $10 billion US- VISIT program awarded to Accenture LLP in June 2004.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is planning to merge the Office of Air and Marine Operations (AMO) with the Border Patrol's aviation arm to form a new combined aviation entity, to be called CBP Air, which would be the largest federal air force outside the Department of defense. Some of the insiders at the DHS are worried that the plan could lead to turf battles and hurt interagency missions.

The first budget authorization bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would require it to create a technology 'clearinghouse' for a quick transfer of anti-terror technologies to federal, state and local governments, first responders or the private sector. The House Homeland Security Committee passed the H.R.1817 on 27 April 2005 and it has ordered the DHS to fully stand up to the clearinghouse 90 days after the budget is enacted. The bill would cap funding for the DHS in fiscal 2006 at $34.15 billion.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in July 2005 plans to begin testing next-generation technologies designed to detect the presence of smuggled nuclear or radiological materials. The tests would involve 10 vendors leading to a downselect of 3 companies and the same will be conducted at the Nevada Test Site until September 2005, after which the initial downselect will take place.

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and private industry are facing a host of complicated financial, logistical and technological issues as they adapt military-style countermeasures for use on commercial airliners. The plan developed by the DHS to address the State Department's concerns over the anti-missile systems falling into the wrong hands when the plane equipped with such devices fly overseas is discussed.

Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge outlined priorities for his office at a conference. Coordinating, equipment and training for local police, fire and emergency officials is a top concern.

The network centric portion of the Secure Border Fence Initiative (SBInet) is facing problems with lawmakers due to the delay in the program. SBInet was supposed to start on June 13, 2007, at a 28-mile stretch along the Mexican border near Sasabe, Arizona, but was delayed due to problems with its radar system.

The deadline for submitting proposals for a high altitude unmanned aerial system (UAS) to detect and deter shoulder-fired missiles (MANPADS) aimed at commercial aircrafts has been changed.