Coast Guard Issues RFP For UAV Technology Written 11 May 2018

FlightGlobal reports that the US Coast Guard issued a request for proposals for “long-range, ultra-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions” in US coastal regions “highly trafficked by illegal drug and migrant smugglers.” The areas include the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and eastern Pacific Ocean. The aircraft must be land-based and able to fly for more than 24 hours with a “service ceiling of 15,000ft above sea level, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s RFP.” The UAVs should also include maritime payloads “such as an electro-optical and infrared full motion video system, a maritime surveillance radar, a radio frequency and direction finding sensor, and a tactical communications radio and data link.” Responses are due to the Coast Guard by June 5.
More Info (FlightGlobal)