In 2025, Frontex commissioned the development of a so-called "tactical drone" capable of flying for extended periods in difficult terrain and detecting and tracking targets. This "tactical drone" was tested and is set to be deployed by the Bulgarian Border Police in order to improve "efficiency of border surveillance operations" at the Bulgarian-Turkish Border. The project was commissioned by Frontex and executed by a consortium of three companies: Global SAT, Shield AI and DAT CON. The V-BAT drone (vertical take-off) enables streaming of real-time video to a command center and target flagging movements to operators. The stated objective is to "improve situational awareness and help detect cross-border crime in real time."
The project is presented as a research pilot which will remain outside of a full legal framework, according to the European Commission. However, according to the company websites, the drones have been operational in Bulgaria since June 2025. This Frontex Pilot project is developed in the context of Bulgaria's Schengen accession in 2024, which has made Bulgaria an EU external border. Since then reports of violent pushbacks have increased and the Bulgarian-Turkish border. The use of situational awareness technologies such as drones for detection increases the likelihood of detection, apprehension, and possible violent pushbacks of people on the move.