The Coast Guard has created a new program executive office to accelerate the adoption of uncrewed systems (UxS) in the field as part of Force Design 2028 modernization efforts.
The Robotics and Autonomous Systems Program Executive Office (RAS PEO) will focus on integrating this rapidly evolving technology—which includes unmanned aircraft (commonly referred to as drones), surface, subsurface, and space systems—across all 11 of its statutory missions.
Cmdr. Sam Hill, Robotics and Autonomous Systems C-UxS Division Chief, predicts this undertaking will be the largest expansion to capabilities since the inception of aviation.
“That’s not hyperbole,” he added. “This is one of those universally applicable technological advances that will allow us to execute operations better, faster, more safely, and for a fraction of the current cost. Robotics will change how we conduct every mission in the Coast Guard.”
The Coast Guard released its Unmanned Systems Strategic Plan in 2023. UAS are now regularly launched off cutters to help operators with a range of missions, such as:
- Collecting intelligence for drug and migrant interdictions and illegal fishing inspections.
- Supporting Search and rescue
- Assessing damage after natural disasters like hurricanes.
ROVs, meanwhile, have assisted Arctic research and surveyed wreckage after the Key Bridge collapse.
The Coast Guard has been using unmanned systems since 2004, when Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSST) first deployed remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) primarily for underwater port security. In 2007, an ROV helped divers find remnants of the original Minot Ledge lighthouse that collapsed in 1851. A year later we began flying an MQ-9 Guardian long-range unmanned aircraft system jointly with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to conduct surveillance in the Caribbean. The first contract for medium-range UAS capability on the national security cutter (NSC) was awarded in 2016. Yet the Coast Guard still lags behind other military branches and government agencies in fully leveraging UxS. The RAS PEO is designed to address this, in part by standardizing and centralizing a process that previously involved four separate program offices (CG-4, CG-6, CG-7, and CG-9). Going forward, RAS PEO experts will be responsible for developing and implementing robotics across the organization, including infrastructure, training, workforce management, and the plan for mission integration. The team will identify, assess, acquire, and ensure this technology quickly gets to operators in the field.
Coming soon: More UAS and possibly a new rating
So, what can members expect to see come out of the RAS PEO? Initially, the Short-Range UAS fleet will be expanded. We will also begin replacing the current Medium-Range UAS on national security cutters with the V-BAT UAS. (The initial UAS used on NSCs need special launching equipment and “lands” through a system requiring a pole, a wire, and a hook; V-BATs simply take off and land from a vertical position.) Over time, members can expect to use V-BATs on medium-endurance cutters as well. The service will also explore expanding the capability to other cutter classes.
Meanwhile, the Long-Range UAS program plans to acquire aircraft and staff the Joint Program Office with pilots, sensor operators, and support personnel. The subsurface community is starting the recapitalization of the ROV fleet and significant lines of effort are underway to grow the service’s Counter UxS capability.
But there’s more involved than simply updating systems; the Coast Guard is building out an entirely new capability. Hill notes the RAS PEO will also have to do a lot of foundational work. “It’s not just short-term wins we’ll be looking at, but how do you change the Service to be able to handle this capacity going forward,” he said.
One way is by expanding and centralizing the robotics training pipeline for operators. The office is also exploring a new Robotics Mission Specialist rating. The program would be modeled after the Navy’s Robotics Warfare Specialist rating; training could be conducted at the Naval Warfare school. Members wouldn’t just learn how to operate drones and ROVs – they'd learn how to build their own robots. They’d also be trained in AI, basic coding, and other skills in order to develop a cross-functional base.
Timely new rules
An added plus? The Coast Guard is now able to do even more with UAS. In April, the Federal Aviation Administration granted the Service a Certificate of Authorization (COA) allowing it to fly UAS at higher altitudes, in worse weather, and beyond the line of sight. The COA also gave the Service a quicker way to access controlled airspace. The changes mean Coast Guard operators will be able to use UAS to see a lot more and respond faster during SAR, law enforcement missions, and disaster response.
Still ahead
Over the long term, the RAS PEO plans to:
- Outfit all deployable special forces with UxS.
- Expand use of modern ROVs to strengthen subsurface mission execution
- Grow the joint program office with CBP to expand that mission.
- Cultivate the uses of UxS for additional missions.
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