The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Stratton has become the first cutter to sail an entire patrol with a small unmanned aerial vehicle aboard.
The Insitu ScanEagle “directly assisted the Stratton crew with conducting four interdictions, seizing more than 1,676 kilograms of illicit contraband valued at $55 million and apprehending ten suspected drug traffickers,” according to an Insitu news release.
“During the six-week deployment in the eastern Pacific Ocean, ScanEagle flew 39 sorties for a total of 279 hours, including one operation where the aircraft provided persistent surveillance for 22.7 flight hours in a 24-hour period,” Insitu said.
The Coast Guard released a draft request for proposal last month to procure small UAVs for its entire National Security Cutter fleet.
Coast Guard cutter flies ScanEagle
