DHS seeking proposals to help Coast Guard better track objects in the water

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking proposals from technology companies to develop a system to mark and track objects in the water more clearly.

The solicitation – called the Maritime Object Tracking Technology initiative – was posted this week by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP). The solutions will be used by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).

The USCG needs a more reliable system for clearly marking and monitoring objects in the water for recovery, whether it’s for drug interdiction on the high seas, search and rescue missions, migrant interdiction, or something else.

“During the course of normal operations, Coast Guard aircraft and vessels come across numerous types of jettisoned objects, and navigation hazards that need to be recovered from the seas and waterways,” Wendy Chaves, U.S. Coast Guard chief of research, development, test and evaluation and innovation, said. “The USCG is interested in tracking solutions that are interoperable with current USCG maritime and aviation assets.”

SVIP and USCG will host a meeting in Menlo Park, Calif., on March 4 to discuss the Maritime Object Tracking Technology solicitation and other current USCG operational needs.

“A robust and effective Maritime Object Tracking Technology will bolster USCG mission capabilities,” Melissa Oh, SVIP managing director, said, “and a system that can be more widely used by all USCG personnel will strengthen waterway security, drug interdiction, and search and rescue missions while benefitting maritime navigation and marine safety.”