Coast Guard to deploy autonomous saildrones on Great Lakes
The uncrewed vessels will help detect illegal activity, gather environmental data and support emergency response while supplementing crewed Coast Guard operations.
- On Tuesday, the Great Lakes Coast Guard District announced the deployment of autonomous Saildrone Voyager vessels across the Great Lakes beginning this month through October.
- The Coast Guard awarded a contract to California-based Saildrone to improve maritime domain awareness across over 90,000 square miles of water connecting the United States and Canada.
- These 10-meter Saildrone vessels utilize hybrid-electric propulsion and can operate for 100 days without servicing, while monitored by "human operators who can take manual control if needed."
- Anthony Popiel, the unmanned aircraft system program manager for the District, said "We have multiple drones in operation on Lake Erie and Lake Superior" to monitor illegal activity and gather weather data.
- The deployment reflects a broader Coast Guard effort to integrate autonomous systems into everyday missions, potentially shaping how the service uses similar technology in other maritime regions in the coming years.
13 Articles
13 Articles
US Coast Guard launches hybrid autonomous Saildrones for lake patrols
The U.S. Coast Guard will deploy autonomous surface drones across the Great Lakes from May through October to strengthen maritime surveillance and emergency response operations. The deployment marks one of the service’s latest steps toward integrating unmanned systems into everyday missions. The wind- and solar-powered vessels, built by Saildrone, will patrol more than 90,000 square miles of interconnected waterways and international shipping ro…
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Coast Guard using sail drones in Great Lakes this year
The U.S. Coast Guard will have an extra tool on the water this year. This will be the first year the Great Lakes will have sail drones deployed. The 30-foot drones will be used as an extra patrol, helping to watch out for potential safety or legal issues. They’re being used in other areas to monitor fisheries and help in the fight against illegal smuggling. UAS Program Manager Anthony Popiel says the drones are always under the control of a pilo…
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Coast Guard Introduces Autonomous Drones for Great Lakes Research - The St. Ignace News
The U.S. Coast Guard will deploy autonomous drones this summer. (Saildrone/Courtesy Photo) The Great Lakes District of the U.S. Coast Guard plans to deploy autonomous drones this summer. The dr... You must be an online subscriber to view this story. If you are able to login but not view the story, your subscription has most likely expired and you should renew. Full versions of news stories and archives are available to online subscribers only. …
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