WASHINGTON ― When it comes to minesweeping at the 2018 Rim of the Pacific exercises, the top sonar for the job isn’t located on any of the 46 ships and five subs sailing in the maneuvers.

Instead, the Navy relies on dolphins.

The highly-trained creatures “search for and mark the location of undersea mines” according to a description by the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, which also deploys sea lions to recover suspicious objects at deep depths.

The dolphins “possess the most sophisticated sonar known to science,” allowing them to find mines in any depth or light when mechanical equipment is often less reliable, the Navy says.

That skill proves especially useful in crowded coastal waters or on murky sea floors. Navy RIMPAC footage released to the public shows dolphins, overseen by human trainers, finding practice mines and placing markers near them.

Their reward? A steady stream of fish treats.

The Government Accountability Office is dubious the service’s lone heavy polar icebreaker can make it to its proposed 2023 retirement date and questioned whether the Coast Guard’s construction schedule was too optimistic.

The Coast Guard is planing to replace the Polar Star with the new heavy icebreaker the same year, something GAO said may not be “realistic and feasible.”

The watchdog noted the aging Polar Star could reach the end of its service life as soon as 2020, and the “highly optimistic” delivery date of the new vessel could be delayed and leave the service without a heavy polar icebreaker to defend strategic Arctic interests for several years.

Vice Adm. Daniel Abel, deputy commandant for operations, recently told the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee at a hearing that the Polar Star is “limping along, and nothing with a US flag could rescue her [in the Arctic] if something happened, putting our polar capabilities at risk.”

To further complicate matters, House appropriators are currently debating cutting $750 million in funding for the Coast Guard.

Vice Adm. Michael McAllister, deputy commandant for mission support, said at the hearing that the entire program schedule is at risk if the appropriations cut is finalized but that he remained confident that the Coast Guard is “well-poised to award the detailed construction contract in fiscal year 2019” for the heavy polar ice breaker.

Rear Adm. William Galinis told industry representatives at a Navy League breakfast Wednesday that congressional investment in shipbuilding and the service life extension of aging vessels will allow the Navy to meet the target.

Congress has been “very generous to the Navy, and to shipbuilding in particular” he said. Galinis noted $100 billion worth of shipbuilding work across different program offices, with 35 ships currently in construction or on contract.

Keeping older vessels operational through repairs and maintenance will be a key part of fleet expansion, Galinis noted. “It is a very solid strategy,” he said, adding that upgrades can yield “five to 10 more years” of service depending on the ship class.

Casting aside doubts on the feasibility of using ships whose service life have been extended, Galinis pointed to the DDG−53 launched in 1991 and the DDG−113 launched in 2015. “We’ve demonstrated the DDG−53 can almost have the same capabilities as DDG−113 through repairs,” he said, “and we’ve done a pretty good job at that.”

Galinis also previewed upcoming major shipbuilding projects for the Navy, including the first heavy polar icebreaker in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard, expected to be awarded early next year, and the future large surface combatant design for a new era of great power competition.

“Our next big effort is the large surface combatant” said Galinis. Although it is in the “early stages of concept development, expect before the end of this year we will start reaching out to industry to share thoughts and feedback.”

To celebrate the program, which honors everyday heroes for their contributions on and off duty, here’s a look at past winners and how they are continuing to serve.

And read about this year’s exceptional winners here.

Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Fontenot, 2015 Soldier of the Year

Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Fontenot, a decorated Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, was named Soldier of the Year in 2015 for his service at the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy and the countless hours he had invested in his community — volunteering at a veterans hospital, homeless children’s shelter and camp for children fighting cancer.

At the time of the award, Fontenot’s unit was preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. During the lead-up to that deployment, Fontenot suffered a severe injury to his right knee. After receiving extensive reconstructive surgery at West Point, he was told his career was most likely over.

But after a stint with the Warrior Transition Battalion, Fontenot has made a remarkable recovery and returned to the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell.

“Thanks to my wife and, I don’t know, a hard, stubborn head, I’m back on the line, and I’m back with my soldiers,” he told Military Times.

Even while he battled his injury, Fontenot did not let grass grow under his feet. Thanks to the scholarship he received with his Soldier of the Year award, he is well on his way to receiving his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Fontenot’s wife, who had just joined the Army when her husband won the award, is now working at the hospital at Fort Campbell. Earlier this year, the couple welcomed their first foster children — 5-year-old twin daughters who they are now in the process of adopting.

Fontenot said winning Soldier of the Year comes with “a certain amount of expectations” that the awardee will continue in the line of service. For Fontenot’s part, his unit is currently working to start a volunteer program for their battery to go out and help rebuild homes. Fontenot is also working with his commander to organize opportunities for soldiers to spend time with children in the local foster care system.

Fontenot encourages this year’s SMOY winners to enjoy the moment, continue the path they’re on and “make sure to mentor other people below them – that way people can continue to be recognized in the future, and we can continue to branch out as the Army doing good things for other people.”

Former Sgt. Steven Davidson, 2012 Soldier of the Year

Steven Davidson was named Soldier of the Year in 2012 and has since found remarkable success doing what he loves in both the public and private sectors.

At the time of his award, Davidson was pursuing an undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas and volunteering at his former high school. His recognition as Soldier of the Year helped land him a White House internship, which, upon graduation, turned into a Department of Energy appointment as adviser to the assistant secretary for fossil energy.

When the Obama administration departed, Davidson began graduate school at Johns Hopkins University and got a job with Boeing working on community investment and veteran programming. He has recently moved back to his home state of Texas and accepted a position as community manager at Cheniere Energy, a liquefied natural gas exporter.

“This is my dream company and my dream job,” Davidson told Military Times. “I’ve been trying to get here for a while, and so I intend to make a career out of working with the people of south Texas to try and improve the world.”

Although he has only been in Texas a short time, Davidson has already resumed community service, teaching rugby and mentoring local JROTC students. He said being named Soldier of the Year has only increased his motivation to try and make a difference.

“My obligation is to continue to work in the community that way, to honor not only the organization that awarded it to me, but also to the people that I believe truly deserve it,” he said. “So there’s been, at least in my heart, an obligation to give back more.”

Davidson encourages this year’s SMOY winners not to lose sight of what got them there, and to consider the award “just the beginning of your opportunity to make an improvement on the world.”

Senior Airman Joseph Moreland, 2015 Airman of the Year

For Senior Airman Joseph Moreland, being named the 2015 Airman of the Year proved to be a key moment for his next steps, both personally and professionally. Moreland called the award “a confidence boost for me to continue pushing forward into being a better airman and a better person.”

Not your typical communications airman, Moreland earned praise for his work as a tactical cyber systems operator while deployed in Afghanistan.

“This award gave me the confidence to pursue new opportunities,” Moreland explained, “almost like a breath of fresh air.”

Since then, the senior airman changed career paths to cyber warfare operator and will be finishing his bachelor’s in cyber security next year thanks in part to a scholarship provided by Purdue University Global.

Personally, Moreland found that receiving the recognition “established a reputation of trust between myself and the rest of the unit,” which in turn lead to younger airmen seeking out Moreland for advice about work in garrison and overseas.

“While the award potentially opened career opportunities,” Moreland added, “it gave me more opportunities to connect with my teammates, which I valued more.”

While based in Florida, Moreland volunteered with an animal rescue facility and coordinated a volunteer effort following flooding in the area, leading eight volunteers and saving about $50,000 in goods. He has since relocated to the 837th Cyberspace Operations Squadron at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

Retired Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Page, 2008 Airman of the Year

“I remember being angry initially,” says 2008 Airman of the Year Stephen Page of first being told he had been nominated. “My first thought was that this is an award I give my troops, not something I should receive.”

After the now-retired chief master sergeant discovered he had been nominated by his troops, he “felt a great joy” to know he had such an impact on his men. The airman was known for his compassion, visiting hundreds of wounded troops while command chief for the 12th Flying Training Wing at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

Since his award, Page has had a roller coaster of a journey. His wife, who had been battling cancer, passed away only 19 days after Page’s retirement. Page noted, however, the Airman of the Year award was a blessing he is grateful to have shared with her.

Page returned to the Air Force to work for the Wounded Warrior program, assisting in the mission of caring for service members. Page would eventually move to Operation Finally Home, building mortgage-free homes for combat wounded veterans. Today, the SMOY recipient is a financial coach for veterans at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

His advice for current and future honorees? To remain a “servant leader” in day-to-day affairs.

“Savor the moment and embrace the award,” Page advises, “and afterwards, never let your head get big, but let your heart continue to grow.”

Retired Chief Hospital Corpsman Maria Decena-Taylor, 2012 Sailor of the Year

Maria Decena-Taylor was named Sailor of the Year in 2012 for her exceptional devotion to her co-workers as well as her leadership and mentorship ability as the leading petty officer for the Directorate of Nursing Services at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth.

Today, Decena-Taylor, a former chief hospital corpsman, is out of the military, but still finding ways to help sailors reach their full potential.

Decena-Taylor comes from a family of Navy corpsmen. Her husband, father and sister currently serve or have served as corpsmen, with more than 85 years of combined Naval service.

Decena-Taylor retired from the Navy in 2017. Soon after, she started a career mentoring group on Facebook for sailors and prior military members. The page was initially confined to Decena-Taylor and her friends, but it quickly gained traction and now has 33,000 followers.

In March 2018, Decena-Taylor launched her own staffing and recruiting firm called Resource 1893, LLC. Her firm bids on government contracts to staff businesses with medical and professional administrative services, with a primary objective being to help veterans find jobs.

“I can help you get a job so you’re not at home depressed,” she told Military Times. “Or I can help people in the community be able to get their foot in the door somewhere and gain that experience.”

Decena-Taylor said her business has helped countless veterans who lack a degree or who want to do something different than what they did in the military gain employment.

“I want to help other people achieve their potential,” she said. “I want to be able to give people jobs and opportunities, because I think that would help make everyone around them that much better.”

Cmdr. Michael Files, 2011 Sailor of the Year

It has been a whirlwind of events for 2011 Sailor of the Year Michael Files since his award.

From his marriage (in 2012), to the birth of his two daughters (Sofia, 4, and Mikaela. 2), Files has had his fair share of excitement in his personal life.

He found the time for his own education, too, completing civilian and military education programs, including the U.S. Marine Corps’ Command and Staff College Blended Seminar Program.

However, the man recognized for his outstanding volunteer work hasn’t lost his passion for giving back. Cmdr. Files has given his time and talent most extensively to Scouting, an organization he grew up in and was determined to remain active in.

“I found the skills in Scouting to be transferable to anywhere inside or outside the U.S.,” File told Military Times, “and those skills build better citizens.”

His favorite merit badge as a Scout was citizenship in the world.

Files made it a habit over the past decade to volunteer at Cub Scout packs near where he’s been stationed, and earned particular praise for his work with Washington, D.C., area Scouting.

Files earned the prestigious Silver Beaver Award from Boy Scouts of America, which recognizes outstanding service for the Scouts. He also has stayed active in leadership of the Scouts, first as a Vice President of Volunteer Engagement in 2014 and currently as the Chair of National Boy Scout Committee’s partnership with the African-American Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Climbing the ranks of Alpha Phi Alpha, Files saw a natural partnership of “shared values” between Scouting and the fraternity to team up and help “undeserved communities.”

The sailor counseled new award recipients that after the celebration, “the real work begins.” To Files, each new SMOY must “live up to the standards of the individuals that came before you.”

He also made it clear what comes next for the award winners: “Now, you have to continue to do great work.”

Gunnery Sgt. Dan Robert, 2017 Marine of the Year

2017 Marine of the Year Gunnery Sgt. Dan Robert may have received his award just one year ago, but he has made the most of that year.

Robert earned recognition for his calm temperament during his four combat deployments and over 10 years of volunteering work with the Special Olympics.

Formerly based out of the Washington, D.C., Marine Barracks and responsible for selecting the Marines of the Silent Drill Platoon, Robert has since relocated to Camp Pendleton in California.

As a Marine combat instructor at the School of Infantry West, Robert is thrilled that his current job allows him to “teach, train, and mentor the future generations of warfighters.”

Now approaching his 16th year in the Marines, Robert is the ideal teacher for future Marines. He received a Meritorious Service Medal for his time stationed in Washington, and since the Marine of the Year award, the Marine has picked up two associate degrees in Business Marketing and Business Administration.

Wishing this year’s winners sincere congratulations, Roberts remains grateful for his award, is considering a foray into journalism one day, and expressed a “desire to stay close to the Marine Corps after retirement.”

Former Capt. David Coté, 2011 Marine of the Year

The Summit Project, a non-profit based in Maine, honors fallen combat heroes from the state by trekking to mountaintops with stones of remembrance. For founder David Coté, the 2011 Marine of the Year, serving those who served has been a career-long theme.

Coté developed a brief to prepare junior Marines for life after they hang up their uniforms. His “Arm Yourself” presentation educates service members on career tips and life planning.

“I believe in Marines and what they can do in their life,” Coté said when first interviewed before his award. “I believe it is the senior Marine’s responsibility to look after a younger Marine, like a brother.”

Since then, the Marine has transitioned from active duty to the Marine Corp Reserve’s 25th Marines in Fort Devens, Massachusetts.

As devoted to service as ever, Coté is proud that his work with the Summit Project “has touched thousands of lives” and continues to serve as a powerful memorial.

Coté has even found some time to advance his own goals — he’s now a full-time MBA student at Boston College.

A native Mainer, Coté is still excited to escape the Boston area when possible to visit his home state during weekends.

Reflecting on his award, the Marine offered a quote from Maj. Douglas Alexander Zembiec, a legendary Marine dubbed the “Lion of Fallujah”: “Give something back to society. Lead from the front.”

Gunnery Sgt. Brian Downing, 2016 Marine of the Year

The morning after his award ceremony in Washington, Brian Downing boarded a flight bound for Boston, on to London, on to Madrid, and finally on to Jeriz, Spain.

There, the 2016 Marine of the Year deployed to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation throughout the Middle East on the USS Wasp.

However, even on the other side of the globe, his recognition followed him.

“For the first month or so after I arrived on ship,” Downing remembered, “I could not avoid the chides of my peers saying ‘Attention on deck … the Marine of the Year is coming through.’”

Even though the ribbing he received for his award was all good natured, Downing was still determined to remain humble.

“Just a small cog that keeps the big machine moving” is how he sees his role in the Marine Corps, and warns others that “one of the gravest sins a Marine can commit is to ever care more about himself than about the Marines he leads.”

Since his recent award, Downing has focused on living up to the expectations of both a SMOY recipient and a gunnery Sergeant.

Although not one to promote himself, Downing was overjoyed when his hometown VFW in Danvers, Massachusetts, held a reception in his honor. Teachers, friends and neighbors all gathered to celebrate the pride his award brought to the community,

“The award is less about what you did to receive it,” the Marine said, “and more about what you will go on to do because of it.”

Aviation Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Lee Biladeau, 2015 Coast Guardsman of the Year

Aviation Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Lee Biladeau was named Coast Guardsman of the Year in 2015 for his devotion to his fellow Coasties and the more than 1,000 hours he dedicated to coaching a small-town Washington state lacrosse club while stationed at Air Station Port Angeles.

Since winning the award, Biladeau has wrapped up his tour at Air Station Traverse City in Michigan and is preparing to relocate to Air Station Kodiak in Alaska. This time, however, Biladeau and his wife won’t make the move alone. The couple welcomed their firstborn son, Rylan, 18 months ago.

Biladeau said winning Coast Guardsman of the Year has opened countless doors and changed the trajectory of his career.

“After I got the award, my name had a lot of visibility within the Coast Guard,” he told Military Times. “The award gave me a lot of confidence to pursue bigger, better things, and with the idea that I can achieve better things.”

Before winning the award, Biladeau had planned to become a warrant officer. After being named Coast Guardsman of the Year, however, his command advised him to pursue Officer Candidate School instead, which he is in the process of applying to now.

Biladeau already has plans to continue community service once he arrives in Kodiak. Lacrosse isn’t quite as adaptable to the Alaska weather, so Biladeau plans on coaching a pee-wee hockey team instead.

Biladeau encourages this year’s SMOY winners to seize every opportunity afforded by the award.

“I reflect back on my D.C. trip for the ceremony, and it was absolutely the highlight of my career,” he said. “There’s a lot of doors that are opened, so take advantage of every opportunity that this award gets you. It may not be immediately after you get the award, but even a year or two, three years go by and doors will still continue to open and take advantage of as many as you can.”

Electrician’s Mate 1st Class William Gore, 2017 Coast Guardsman of the Year

There is one word to sum up the year since William Gore’s recognition as 2017 Coast Guardsman of the Year: busy.

The Electrician’s Mate 1st Class is the lead electrician for the USCGC Margaret Norvell, which conducts drug and migrant interdictions from its home port in Miami, Florida.

Gore is currently studying for his MBA with Purdue University Global, and used his SMOY scholarship to attend graduate classes.

Gore also has remained active with Danilo’s Cares, a charity he created with his wife to provide children in Honduras with free dental care. He somehow finds the time between his studies and his personal life, including a 2-year-old at home, to continue to serve as communications director for the non-profit.

In March, Danilo’s Cares held a dental event in Honduras that treated around 350 kids. On tap for 2019, the non-profit has partnered with Central American Medical Outreach to launch a kid’s backpack distribution with 13 schools in Honduras.

The Coastie has kept big goals for his service, too. Gore found that receiving the SMOY award “motivated” him, and his next step is to reach warrant officer. As an electrician, Gore has developed a reputation as a reliable and knowledgeable hand on board.

“I view winning that award as a start rather than an accomplishment, and I’m just trying to live up to it and work even harder now than I did before,” Gore said.

“Enjoy the moment,” Gore advised this year’s SMOY winners, “but just know that really, the work has just begun.”

The entire Wild Boars soccer team, including 12 boys and their coach, was successfully rescued from a flooded cave complex in Thailand, where dozens of U.S. military personnel were deployed to assist in the operation.

The boys, ages 11-16, rescued from the Tham Luang Cave complex in northern Thailand were recuperating at a hospital in the nearby city of Chiang Rai, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The final rescue mission of the multiday effort was done on Tuesday, 18 days after the soccer team entered the cave and became stranded due to heavy flooding.

For the rescue, 42 U.S. military personnel and one member of the Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group Thailand were deployed to the multinational rescue effort, according to a Pentagon statement.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command dispatched 36 service members from Okinawa, including airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Group and the 31st Rescue Squadron, to Thailand on June 28.

Since two specially trained volunteer British cave divers found the team in the cave complex last week, rescue plans were in the works.

The first four boys were rescued Sunday, followed by four more on Monday. The remaining four boys and their coach, along with three Thai Navy SEALs and a doctor who were staying with them, successfully exited the cave Tuesday. Each evacuee wore full scuba gear and was accompanied by two navy divers along the 2.4-mile escape route.

The U.S. military personnel involved in the rescue effort helped stage equipment and prepare the first three chambers of the cave system for safe passage, according to Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Rob Manning.

They also assisted in transporting the evacuees through the final chambers of the cave system and provided medical and technical assistance.

The celebration of the team’s rescue comes amid mourning for Saman Kunan, the former Thai Navy SEAL and volunteer diver who died early Friday while delivering oxygen tanks in the cave.

“The death of the former Thai Navy SEAL illustrates the difficulty of this rescue,” Manning said in the DoD release. “His sacrifice will not be forgotten.”

The agreement provides for the manufacture and delivery of 39 CMV-22B aircraft for the Navy and 14 MV-22B aircraft for the Marines. The delivery is expected to be completed by November 2024.

The Navy will use the new tilt rotors for transporting personnel and cargo from shore to aircraft carriers. The Osprey is also used in infiltration/exfiltration operations.

The V-22 and its variations have seen use by the U.S. Air Force for resupply operations, and by the Marines in Syria. The Army is also interested in developing vertical lift capabilities for deploying strike teams.

The contract included a sale of four MV-22B aircraft for the government of Japan, where five American Ospreys arrived this spring to begin a deployment based in Tokyo.

The purchase “enables the U.S. Navy to begin advancing its carrier onboard delivery fleet with modern tiltrotor aircraft” Kristin Houston, vice president for Boeing tilt-rotor programs and director of the Bell-Boeing V-22 program, said in a news release.

The Air Force will also receive one new CV-22B from the contract.

Teresa Carlson, vice president for Amazon Web Services, announced June 20 at the annual AWS Public Sector Summit that Amazon is “well on its way” to reaching that goal and has “trained 10,000 veterans and their spouses in cloud computing.”

Carlson also pledged to expand the company’s new technical apprentice program for veterans, which partners with local colleges to provide a specialized education to prepare veterans for technical careers. Following an inaugural year of 60 participants in 2017, the program added 300 new students this year.

CIA and Defense Department representatives both spoke after Carlson during the same keynote session, appearing before the AWS Summit as vocal proponents of cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Carlson framed the training of veterans in these new technologies as providing the government with crucial know-how.

The globe-trotting businesswoman noted that the U.S. is not alone in bringing cloud functions to government. Chile, Argentina, Singapore and Bahrain are strongly interested in AWS-type technology for their respective governments, but have complained that “their No. 1 barrier” is a lack of a “cloud-enabled workforce,” Carlson said.

Cloud computing and related advancements offer enormous potential in defense. The increased speed and power of such data handling improves satellite-image processing to weapons systems interoperability to spacecraft development timelines.

Amazon runs the AWS GovCloud West, a cloud service for classified government developments throughout the western United States. Now it is unveiling GovCloud East, allowing for complete nationwide cloud availability for Defense Department programming and data storage.

The Pentagon has expressed interest in cloud technology before, both for internal use as well as potentially coordination with troops anywhere using real-time data.

“At the end of the day,” Carlson told summit attendees, “cloud computing is key to moving fast.”

WASHINGTON ― Courtesy of BAE Systems, some Virginia-class submarines will be able to pack a bigger punch.

The U.S. Navy has granted a contract to British company to produce payload tubes for two of the service’s Block V Virginia-class subs. Each will be extended in length with an additional mid-body section to create additional room for payloads and, in turn, for greater firepower.

One large-diameter payload tube can store and launch up to seven Tomahawk cruise missiles. The four new tubes per sub will add to the existing firepower of the two large-diameter, 87-inch Virginia Payload Tubes on the bow, each capable of launching six Tomahawk cruise missiles

Work will be performed at BAE System’s facility in Louisville, Kentucky, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2020.

The Navy has paid particular attention to submarine production recently, even pushing up timetables for the Virginia class.

The Virginia Payload Module is “critical to the Navy’s undersea presence,” according to Joe Senftle, vice president and general manager of weapon systems at BAE. Senftle added that the new VPM will increase firepower by “tripling their payload capacity.”

A BAE spokeswoman said the tubes allow the Navy “to pursue the potential of other payload types,” such as unmanned systems or next-generation weapons.

The information stolen was stored on the contractor’s unclassified network despite being “highly sensitive nature,” according to information obtained by the Washington Post.

According to the report, 614 gigabytes of material on a closely held project known as Sea Dragon were taken. Contracted for the military organization Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Sea Dragon aims to develop a supersonic anti-ship missile for use on U.S. submarines.

Cmdr. Bill Speaks, Navy spokesman, confirmed that measures exist which “require companies to notify the government when a ‘cyber incident’ has occurred,” as had occurred in this instance.

Experts have witnessed a recent “reemergence” of China-based hacking groups that had seemed to have “gone dormant for a while,” said Cristiana Brafman Kittner, principal analyst at cybersecurity firm FireEye.

China has increasingly grown not only as an economic cyberthreat, but an online menace to national security as well.

WASHINGTON ― What can fly for 12 hours straight, launches from a catapult on the deck of a Coast Guard cutter and has helped apprehend more than 11 tons of contraband?

Answer: small unmanned aircraft systems, and the U.S. Coast Guard has asked for a lot more of them.

The Coast Guard began the hunt for an economically priced and multipurpose drone earlier this year after recording its third-largest drug bust of all time with the help of sUAS.

Faced with the challenge of policing millions of nautical miles of sea for cocaine smugglers, the Coast Guard specified the need for an sUAS able to “conduct surveillance, detection, classification and identification operations.” The drone also needs to “support prosecution by providing real-time imagery, data, target illumination, [and] communications relay” to Coast Guard vessels.

Now, the Coast Guard seems convinced it has found the answer in the form of Insitu’s ScanEagle.

Cmdr. Daniel Broadhurst, unmanned aircraft systems division chief in the Office of Aviation Forces, praised the “transformational technology” of the sUAS as “an incredibly important first step in realizing the Coast Guard’s vision of fleetwide” drones. He also said in a statement that the Coast Guard is “excited” to contract with Insitu.

Though the U.S. Navy has experience operating the ScanEagle aboard its vessels, Insitu is presented with an entirely new challenge when it comes to the Coast Guard, according to Ron Tremain, Insitu’s business development executive for the U.S. Coast Guard.

“The USCG isn’t like other militaries ― they routinely operate in extreme atmospherics that other services don’t typically operate in” Tremain explained. Moisture proved to be the biggest challenge, as the engineering team had to weatherize the ScanEagle (originally built in 1994 to collect weather data) to operate in rain, squalls and heavy sea states.

The Coast Guard has good reason to be excited about the potential of the ScanEagle and the improvement of drone capabilities. The “sUAS capability was involved in 17 drug interdictions resulting in the confiscation of 10,202 kilograms of contraband,” according to a Coast Guard statement. That’s roughly 11 tons.

Insitu employees with “proper military credentials” operate alongside crews to ensure the ScanEagles are expertly handled, Tremain noted.

“This contract is only the beginning for unmanned systems within the Coast Guard,” Jeff Bishop, program manager with the Office of Aviation Acquisition, said. “And to be at the very beginning of this paradigm shift is an amazing experience.”