Coast Guard, NOAA Testing Drones in Arctic

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and the Coast Guard are teaming up in the Arctic to test new unmanned aerial system applications.

This summer, the Healy, the Coast Guard’s research icebreaker, conducted unmanned aerial vehicle tests in the Arctic alongside NOAA, said Robbie Hood, UAS program director at the scientific agency. The Coast Guard is “letting this ship be a testing ground for unmanned technologies, both water vehicles and air vehicles,” she said during the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s annual program review.

NOAA used 13–pound Puma UAVs during the exercise. The system is built by AeroVironment, a Monrovia, California-based UAV manufacturer.

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