The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has partnered with the Canadian Coast Guard to trial the use of commercial unmanned air vehicles in its coastal patrol operations.
The coast guard deployed UAVs from ING Robotics Aviation with electro-optic/infra-red payloads, and NRC then analysed the data collected in the operations, developing a roadmap for the potential integration of UAVs into the coast guard’s day-to-day operations.
UAVs had previously been used for technology demonstrations focusing on the coast guard's operations along the St Laurence River.
“NRC supports the emergence of unmanned aerial systems for their potential to improve capabilities and reduce costs in several key Canadian industries," says Ian Potter, NRC’s vice-president of engineering. "This project is an excellent opportunity to investigate the ability of these systems to enhance Canadian Coast Guard operations."
Source: Cirium Dashboard
