Coast Guard Successfully Tests Small UAS on Cutter Stratton
On January 2, the United States Coast Guard completed system operational verification testing of a small UAS and its accompanying ground control station, and forward and aft directional antenna, which is used for maintaining communication with the aircraft.
The test took place on the Coast Guard Cutter Stratton, which is a national security cutter (NSC) located in Alameda, California.
With plans to deploy a ScanEagle small UAS capability this winter from the Stratton, the January 2 test was used to asses a small UAS’ power, communications, and launch and recovery systems, to determine its level of functionality, and identify areas that need improvement.
When the ScanEagle is deployed in the winter, data collected will be used for a variety of things, including learning the best ways to make the most out of UAS during its patrol, while also minimizing risks. Data will also be used to improve the concept of operations and requirements for future systems that will be installed and integrated across the NSC class.
These requirements will be used to influence a request for proposal for sUAS for NSC capability, which is expected to be release by the end of fiscal year 2017.
Via sUAS News, Jeff Bishop, UAS program manager, says, “the upcoming deployment is going to inform the sUAS for NSC strategy, and the eventual sUAS for NSC solution is going to inform the Coast Guard’s long-term sUAS strategy.”
Going forward, there is the possibility that small UAS could be integrated into other cutter operations.
