UAS: Project Description
Unmanned aircraft systems have the potential to serve as cost-effective multi-mission surveillance platforms in the maritime environment, augmenting both cutter-based rotary wing aircraft and land-based fixed wing aircraft.
The Coast Guard’s Acquisition Directorate is working with the service’s sponsor, Research and Development Center (RDC), and technical authorities to identify, assess, and procure land- and cutter-based UASs and payload technologies that will meet operational requirements.
Acquisition Strategy
Based upon lessons learned from its own studies and from cooperative experiments with other agencies, the Coast Guard has developed, and DHS has approved, a UAS acquisition strategy to acquire both low-altitude, cutter-based, tactical UASs and mid-altitude, land-based, long range UASs. The UAS acquisition strategy emphasizes commonality with existing DHS and DoD programs and technologically mature systems.
A cutter-based UAS would provide on-demand, tactical surveillance and detection capability for National Security Cutters (NSC) and Offshore Patrol Cutters . The RDC completed its congressionally directed study to “determine the most effective UAS to operate off the National Security Cutter”. The study determined that cutter-based UASs with appropriate sensors (detection, classification, and identification) would significantly enhance NSC operational effectiveness. In order to expedite the use of cutter-based UAS, the Coast Guard is pursuing the feasibility of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) technology as an interim solution for the NSCs. The RDC is working with the Navy to conduct one or more sUAS technology demonstrations on a National Security Cutter.
A land-based UAS would leverage maritime sensors and communications with increased persistence to augment surveillance efforts currently provided via various maritime patrol aircraft. The Coast Guard will pursue a strategy in which an existing land-based UAS will conduct maritime missions in various environments. In 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Coast Guard established a joint program office for the coordination of maritime land-based UAS policy and operations. In 2009, CBP acquired its first of two maritime variant Predator UASs named Guardian. CBP and Coast Guard flight crews are conducting joint maritime Guardian operations from Cape Canaveral, FL and Corpus Christi, TX.
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