US Cost Guard To Buy Long-Range UAV

US Cost Guard To Buy Long-Range UAV

US Cost Guard To Buy Long-Range UAV. Long-range, high-altitude unmanned air systems are back in the long-term acquisition interests of the US Coast Guard, according to a newly published federal notice.

A request for information issued on August 30 by the USCG Research and Development Center expresses interest in the most advanced UAS in the market, with a minimum resistance of 24 hours, "long distance" and ground between the requirements.

The drone would play a role similar to Northrop Grumman's MQ-4C Triton capabilities for the United States Navy and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc Guardian, which is a maritime patrol version of Predator B.

The concept provides for the operation of pre-planned routes with the UAV in an offshore environment beyond the line of sight from the ground control station. That capability would also require the manufacturer to create organic sensors for surveillance to detect and process surface targets, according to RFI.

The USCG Research and Development Center has not defined reach or resistance parameters in the sources sought, but expects the industry to provide viable envelopes and viable options. The UAV must reach a threshold of 24 hours of resistance. The vehicle was moving away from targets while providing near-real-time tracking and monitoring data, says the RFI.

USCG's recent UAV acquisitions have focused on its fleet of national security blades. Last year, the service awarded Insitu a contract to operate its ScanEagle on board a USCG cutter. In April, the USCG issued a request for proposal to expand small UAV operations through the cutter fleet.

The reactivation interest comes more than a decade after the disappearance of the failed Deepwater Coast Guard modernization program, which included requirements for the Northrop RQ-4A and the Bell Helicopter HV-911 Eagle Eye canceled.

The Coast Guard marine patrol fleet currently includes several manned aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin HC-130J for long-range surveillance and the Airbus HC-144 Ocean Sentry for medium-range surveillance.

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