Foundation Robotics, a U.S.-based startup, has discussed deploying its Phantom MK1 humanoid robots along the southern border, according to a ZeroHedge report citing a Fox News interview with CEO Sankaet Pathak [1]. Pathak said the machines are designed to navigate rugged terrain that can be difficult for vehicles, drones and fixed cameras. He said potential deployment missions could center on monitoring remote border areas, inspecting tunnels, and flagging migrant crossings for human agents.
The company develops humanoid robots for industrial and military applications, and the report described the border proposal as part of a broader move of physical AI and humanoid robots from factories and homes into conflict zones and other high-risk environments. The report also cited recent episodes of mass migration, including the invasion of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta by military-aged men, as examples of what it called weaponized migration flows. A DHS spokesperson told Fox News that the department “currently does not have any non-contractual agreements, pilots, or active prime contracts with Foundation.” The statement did not address whether demonstrations had occurred, and no formal arrangement has been announced.
Pathak says pilot could begin quickly
Pathak said a limited pilot could begin immediately and a larger deployment could follow within several months, according to the same report. He said the company is in conversations with “almost all national security government bodies,” including the Air Force, Navy, Army and DHS. The company is starting to negotiate contracts and applications for some of those bodies, he said.
In early March, Foundation co-founder Mike LeBlanc told TIME that the company is in “very close contact” with DHS regarding possible patrol deployments along the southern border, the report said. A separate summary of the TIME reporting said Foundation’s Phantom MK1 units were being evaluated for battlefield use while discussions about potential roles in U.S. border security continued [3].
Neither DHS nor Foundation has confirmed a timeline for those discussions. The border patrol proposal depends on robots operating in terrain that agencies currently monitor with personnel and equipment.
Hellbound and Down 