USCG plans USD350 million investment in robotics and autonomous systems

The US Coast Guard plans to procure Defender ROVs (pictured here). (Janes/Michael Fabey)

The US Coast Guard (USCG) plans to invest about USD350 million in expanded robotics and autonomous systems, the service confirmed on 24 September.

The funding includes USD11 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025 for “immediate” upgrades to “critical autonomous systems”, the USCG noted in a statement.

For more information on USCG planned investments, please see Pentagon Budget 2026: US Coast Guard to receive USD25 billion in reconciliation funding .

Initial robotics and autonomous investments include USD4.8 million to procure 16 VideoRay Defender remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to replace the deployable specialised forces' ageing fleet; USD2 million to procure six QinetiQ Squad Packable Utility Robot (SPUR) and 12 mini-SPUR robots to replace outdated unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in strike teams; and USD4.3 million to purchase 125 SkyDio X10D short-range unmanned aircraft systems (SR-UASs), the USCG said.

“These unmanned systems provide increased domain awareness, mitigating risk and enhancing mission success,” Anthony Antognoli, first USCG Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) programme executive officer, said in the statement.

USCG deployable specialised forces will use the new ROVs for waterfront and pier inspections, hull assessments, subsurface infrastructure surveys, disaster response, and search-and-rescue missions, reducing reliance on coastguard divers while improving efficiency and safety, the service said.

USCG strike teams, which respond to hazardous material spills; major marine casualties; groundings; natural disasters; chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) incidents; and national special security events, will use the new UGVs to access and sample air in confined spaces aboard commercial vessels, the service said.

The SR-UAS will support operations including infrastructure inspections, environmental observation, pollution response, post-storm surveys, ice surveys, and communications, the service said.