Leveraging Unmanned Systems for Coast Guard Missions (2020) / Chapter Skim
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5 A Vision and Framework for Exploiting Unmanned Systems
5 A Vision and Framework for Exploiting Unmanned Systems
Pages 83-100
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From page 83... ...
Briefings by Coast Guard leaders revealed a strong desire to leverage UxS to enhance mission capabilities across the Service's air, surface, underwater, and shore-based domains.1 The committee heard, for instance, about the Coast Guard's interest in leveraging unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance, unmanned surface vehicles (USVs)
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From page 84... ...
The chapter concludes by highlighting systems engineering considerations that the Coast Guard would need to address in leveraging and integrating UxS, particularly at a larger scale. COAST GUARD UxS USE SCENARIOS It has been said that robots are best suited for work that is "dull, dirty, and dangerous." In addition, to the 3 "Ds," potential applications for UxSs by the Coast Guard may be described as "distant and exhausting." Operating in all U.S.
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From page 85... ...
Air support, when required, was usually provided by a single Coast Guard air station. Both small boat stations and air stations are constrained by the number of boats or aircraft (typically three aircraft and two or three boats)
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From page 86... ...
The dangers and difficulties of some of the Coast Guard's most challenging SAR operations, such as Bering Sea fishing boat rescues, are reduced, albeit not eliminated. The most important performance result of this UxS scenario is more lives saved and fewer lives endangered.
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From page 87... ...
After the storm … they surveyed the damage to prepare to reopen the Port. Activities included conducting waterway surveys to ensure navigational aids were on station, locating and removing marine debris, locating floating shipping containers, and making sure that the channels were cleared for navigation.6 Although disasters of the magnitude and scale of Hurricane Sandy will stress Coast Guard assets and personnel to restore the functioning of the marine transportation system, UxS capabilities can be a force multiplier.
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From page 88... ...
In FY 2018, the Coast Guard reported that it met its boarding and compliance performance standards less than 25 percent of the time due to constrained asset hours and ineffective targeting.7 The reported interdiction rate was only 31 percent, while detected incursions grew by nearly 50 percent. Although these data are heavily influenced by illicit activity in the Gulf of Mexico, illegal fishing in the Central and Western Pacific is substantial, and a particularly challenging problem to monitor and interdict because of the difficulty of conducting persistent surveillance over such vast territory that includes waters off the Western Aleutians Islands to the far north, American Samoa to the far south, and Guam to the far west.
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From page 89... ...
The combination of rugged terrain, harsh weather, and mountain ranges combine to make Coast Guard flights more difficult, dangerous, and expensive than normal. Although maritime domain awareness across such a vast and arduous region will always be challenging, with broader-based use of UAS capabilities a future Coast Guard could project its presence farther by a fleet of all-weather, long-range UAS aircraft based in Kodiak.
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From page 90... ...
A FRAMEWORK FOR MISSION ANALYSIS AND SYSTEMS TRADES The three vignettes are helpful for visualizing how various UxS capabilities can support some of the Coast Guard's 11 statutory missions. Based on information received from the Coast Guard, briefings by technology 10 DHS website.
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From page 91... ...
For example, although a ScanEagle UAV deployed on a National Security Cutter may enhance persistent surveillance in support of SAR or the interdiction of vessels moving illicit drugs, the cutter's crew as well as manned helicopters will still be necessary for rescuing survivors, boarding vessels, and apprehending suspects. Assessments of the cost-effectiveness -- or "business case" -- of individual investments in UxS technologies may be impractical given the shared nature of both the new UxS investments and existing personnel and assets.
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From page 92... ...
Persistent tracking x x 2 Semi-submersible tracking x 1 Tracking (fish populations, whales, x 1 etc.) Counter-unmanned systems x x 2 (C-CUAS, C-UUV, etc.)
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From page 93... ...
Inspections: vessels (tank bottoms, shell plating thickness, confined x 1 spaces) Inspections: stack gas emissions x 1 Visual pre-screen prior boarding x 1 Boom deployment x 1 Fishing gear inspection while x x 2 deployed Fishing vessel speed tracking x x 2 capability Mapping oil/hazardous substances x 1 above and below surface Sample collection x 1 Dispersant delivery x 1 Directional electromagnetic pulse x 1
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From page 94... ...
and unmanned vehicles (UxVs) that already offer high readiness levels of sensing capabilities can make existing field unit operational concepts more efficient with relatively low-cost implications even when accounting for acquisition costs and considerations for personnel training (see Box 5-1)
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From page 95... ...
Air Force has cre ated career paths for unmanned aircraft pilotsb and sensor operators.c Predictions of growth in commercial and government adoption of UxS sug gests increasing need for skilled personnel, not only for mission operations but also for system engineering, cybersecurity policies, data management implica tions, and the like. Therefore, Coast Guard training and career paths may be needed to attract and develop personnel with the necessary knowledge and skills -- for example, starting with Officer Candidate School with required classes and offerings of academic majors at the U.S.
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From page 96... ...
Future operational concepts that include the use of independent unmanned vehicles could see more efficiency gains as assets are deployed to perform some of the more "distant" and "exhausting" tasks. As enabling communications and artificial intelligence technology becomes more widely available, a fully integrated decision support capability could be provided through port security systems or manned-unmanned "system of systems" for maritime domain awareness of larger areas.
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From page 97... ...
Coast Guard program Coast Guard concept Technology opportunity Low High CONOPS Impact (users, tasking, training, policies) – "Cost" FIGURE 5-3 System considerations for persistent surveillance capabilities using unmanned systems.
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From page 98... ...
For example, systems must be designed with an understanding of legal controls on the use of unmanned vehicles, such as the authorized deployments of UAVs in regulated airspace. Although the development of this knowledge will require time and experience working with UxS technologies and related applications, the Coast Guard can develop operational productivity models to support effectiveness and efficiency assessments associated with the employment of new UxS applications.
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From page 99... ...
The U.S. Department of Defense has recognized the importance of taking advantage of rapidly emerging commercial UxS technologies, and has therefore adapted procurement practices to reduce the time required to acquire new capabilities and offers an example of the importance of not only designing systems that can be adapted to benefit from continual advances in UxS technology, but also creating adaptable processes and policies.
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