The federal Homeland Security Department will begin testing a small drone to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.

The department recently awarded a San Diego company Planck Aerosystems $200,000 to begin testing its small drone design along the border.

The Border Patrol has flown the far larger MQ-9 Predator B drone since 2006 when Arizona topped the nation with illegal border crossings.

Homeland Security predicts this new drone will be far more agile. Both the department and Planck claim the drone can land and take off from the bed of a moving vehicle. It will also be able to detect what the agency refers to as "targets."

The award is part of a program that doles out up to $800,000 to companies that successfully convert commercial technology over to Homeland Security use.