DHS S&T exploring autonomous ocean surveillance technology

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced this week that it has partnered with several entities to evaluate the use of autonomous surface and underwater ocean surveillance technology.

The agency has teamed up with the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State, Ocean Aero, Inc., Cherokee Nation Strategic Programs (CNSP), and the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute (HSSEDI) in the endeavor to support the U.S. Coast Guard’s mission to protect maritime border shorelines, waterways, and seaports.

The scope of work involves testing six Triton vessels at USM’s Marine Research Center (MRC) at the Port of Gulfport.

“S&T is excited about this opportunity to test and evaluate such a unique technology,” S&T Program Manager Shane Cullen said. “There are a number of autonomous vessels in the field that are utilized for both commercial and military applications. However, the Triton proposes to be able to navigate while submerged and rely solely on wind and solar power when on the surface. That could make it very useful for long-term maritime protection and law enforcement operations at sea.”

Scott Craig, the Coast Guard’s unmanned systems research and development domain lead, said autonomous vessels represent an emerging technology possessing the potential to be integrated into Coast Guard missions.

“Through evaluation and testing, we can better determine how the service can take advantage of these types of vessels in the future,” he said.