AI-powered surface and underwater drones will protect economic zones and coastlines

Surface and underwater drones are becoming increasingly common in protecting maritime borders and exclusive economic zones. Information about the deployment of surface and underwater drones to protect maritime economic zones, combat crime, protect the environment, and combat human and drug smuggling is becoming increasingly common and… increasingly classified.

One of the few pieces of information is that in July, the Kuwait Coast Guard deployed the NeedleFish Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) to protect Kuwait’s waters and coastlines. It is known that the Norwegian Coast Guard utilizes ROV (Room Revenue Vehicle) technology to improve its operational efficiency and safety. U.S. Coast Guard ROVs are used to inspect underwater structures and equipment related to illegal crime or violations in territorial waters and coastlines. Unmanned surface vehicles are being tested.

Kuwait has deployed the world’s most advanced unmanned surface vessel (USV) to protect its waters as part of a $213 million maritime surveillance contract. SRT Marine Systems and Ocean Infinity were commissioned to build a series of vessels. In July, the Kuwaiti Coast Guard (KCG) implemented a new element of the country’s new integrated maritime surveillance system.

The system is equipped with a special autonomous vessel. However, this is not a standard vessel. The vessel is specially equipped with a range of specialized sensor systems for maritime surveillance. High-end IT software, advanced robotics, and maritime intelligence technology are used to identify objects.

Seas Under the Watchful Eye of Sensors

Such extensive equipment is essential for the Kuwait Coast Guard to provide greater monitoring of the situation across 11,000 km² of territorial waters. Unmanned vehicles are not enough. A complete system has been developed to perform patrol, surveillance, mapping, and surveying functions. All of this is controlled from new, purpose-built KCG land-based command centers and fully integrated with the new SRT C5iSR maritime surveillance system.

Source: Ocean Infinity

Ocean Infinity has been introducing USV solutions, proven for various civilian and military functions, to Kuwait since 2019. Thanks to extensive operational experience gained in the harshest sea conditions, Ocean Infinity’s technology has become widely deployed, and today the company’s USV and UUV fleet is among the largest in the world.

The vessel, named “Needlefish,” represents a significant leap forward in maritime security technology. Needlefish is a technological marvel. Measuring 14 meters long and 6 meters wide, it is powered by two jet engines. The USV can reach speeds in excess of 64 km/h, making it the fastest and most agile vessel of its size.

Kuwait has contracted a fleet of four Needlefish vessels to operate in its territorial waters. The USV fleet will perform a variety of missions, including interception of suspicious vessels, search and rescue operations, and escort. The unmanned vessels will be used for deterrent patrols, as well as fisheries monitoring, surveillance of critical installations, pollution detection, and seabed mapping.

Simon Tucker, CEO of SRT Marine Systems, emphasized the importance of the project: “I am grateful for the Kuwait Coast Guard’s vision, which boldly undertook the design of a best-in-class maritime surveillance system and helped pave the way for a new generation of maritime civil defense USV systems.”

“Kuwait has leapfrogged to become a global leader in maritime surveillance, demonstrating to the world what can be achieved. The new fleet of groundbreaking USVs we have developed with our partners, Ocean Infinity, demonstrates the pace at which Kuwait is modernizing, investing in, implementing, and deploying the next generation of maritime technology,” he added.

Unmanned Vessel in Canadian Waters

Canada also decided to introduce an unmanned vessel into the Canadian Coast Guard last September. The OceanSled®, along with its Coastal Intelligence Management System (CiMS) software, will protect Canadian waters. The OceanSled® Ranger is a multi-role ASV that the Canadian Coast Guard intends to deploy in maritime emergencies. The vessel is used to protect the coastal environment and rescue missing persons. Thanks to its robust design, it can evacuate personnel from dangerous coastal areas and intertidal zones.

OceanSled® Ranger, Source: Shift Coastal Technologies

The modular architecture enables seamless integration of sensors, including cameras for sea surface and underwater observation. The software can run standalone or in the cloud. Thanks to the installed IT devices, the vessel collects, combines, and visualizes key data from remotely controlled systems, providing real-time insights that facilitate decision-making during critical operations, emphasize the designers.

The OceanSled® is designed for operation in remote waters. It can provide real-time information, supporting emergency services in operations in at-risk areas. Shift Coastal Technologies emphasizes that “Shift Coastal Technologies worked closely with coastal communities, including the T’Sou-ke First Nation marine team, during the design and testing phases of the autonomous vehicle.” The vehicle is currently at the disposal of the Canadian Coast Guard in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands). Marty Rogers of the Canadian Coast Guard said, “OceanSled® is a breakthrough. Its versatility and comprehensive sensor suite allow us to effectively protect our coastal environment.”

American Strategy and Scottish Startup

For over two years, the US Coast Guard Research and Development Center has been collaborating with Zelim, a startup based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The goal of the collaboration is to jointly investigate the potential applications and effectiveness of AI-enabled detection and tracking technology in search and rescue operations.

This is a continuation of previous testing and a strategy. The US Coast Guard has been conducting tests of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for five years. The US Coast Guard conducted a series of tests to evaluate the performance and potential applications of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). The tests lasted 30 days and took place in the waters off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. The aim was to investigate how current and emerging technologies could be used to improve maritime domain awareness in remote regions.

Using AI in UAVs to Identify Threats at Sea. Source: Zelim

“There’s no doubt that autonomous technology is a growing industry that has enormous potential to improve Coast Guard operations,” said Lt. Cmdr. Blair Sweigart, director of projects at the Coast Guard Research and Development Center, after the tests. He had already emphasized the need for AI: “Combined with artificial intelligence algorithms, unmanned systems can be a game-changer.”

Using AI in UAVs to Identify Threats at Sea. Zelim video:

The Coast Guard’s Strategic Plan called for “assessing emerging technologies, such as unmanned platforms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, network protocols, information storage, and human-machine collaboration, for potential mission implementation.” Tests conducted off the coast of Hawaii were part of the plan’s implementation.

The U.S. Coast Guard believes that, thanks to their versatility, UAVs can provide persistent domain awareness in remote regions of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. By conducting demonstrations off the coast of Hawaii, teams gained firsthand knowledge of how these assets can help protect islands and critical resources and habitats throughout Oceania.

For several years, Zelim’s engineering team has been developing ZOE. This maritime tracking and identification system utilizes artificial intelligence. It is used to detect and track multiple people, vessels, or targets on the water, day and night, in all weather conditions. ZOE software and hardware support the center’s operator. They provide it with current information about the situation at sea by constantly scanning the water area for anomalies and generating visual and audible alerts.

AUV being tested by the U.S. Coast Guard. Source: U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Strategic Plan recognizes the need to leverage rapidly evolving technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, for potential use in water protection missions. The Scottish startup’s solutions enable the detection, location, characterization, identification, and tracking of people or objects in the water in near real time.

Norwegians prioritize local content

Norwegians have traditionally relied on in-house solutions. Blueye Robotics has been equipping the entire Norwegian Coast Guard fleet with Blueye X3 remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) for almost five years. The Blueye X3 ROV is used by the mothership and MOBs in several applications.

In February 2023, the Norwegian Coast Guard received a Blueye Robotics X3 with sensors and equipment such as a DVL for underwater positioning, a dual-frequency multibeam sonar for navigation and extended field of view, and a gripper. The Blueye ROV is envisioned by the Coast Guard to perform tasks such as

• Securing evidence of environmental crimes
• Searching for drugs or other objects on ship hulls
• Searching for missing persons
• Inspecting own vessels before departure (searching for unwanted objects)
• Checking the condition and protection of historical monuments on the seabed
• Inspecting ships suspected of being grounded
• Replacing simple diving operations

Blueye Robotics is a Norwegian company based in Trondheim. The company was founded by engineers working in the laboratories of the renowned Center for Autonomous Maritime Operations and Systems (AMOS) at NTNU. Since 2015, the team has focused on the production of dual-purpose marine equipment.

The first underwater ROV model was launched in 2019. Since then, over 1,000 systems have been delivered, serving both commercial and military applications. The Norwegian Coast Guard operates it aboard the KV Bjørnøya.

The Blueye X3 ROV with one of the Coast Guard vessels in Svalbard. Source: The Norwegian Coast Guard

UAVs – Secret by Confidential

Information about the introduction of surface and underwater drones to protect maritime economic zones, combat crime, protect the environment, and combat human and drug smuggling has been heavily suppressed, even classified, recently. This indicates that unmanned maritime vehicles have proven their worth in protecting waters and coastlines.

A spectacular example is Kuwait’s introduction of AUVs. The vessels were built in complete secrecy at two British shipyards. They were then transported to Kuwait aboard chartered Antonov aircraft, large enough to accommodate the ordered AUVs.

It should also be added that Kuwait’s comprehensive maritime surveillance system also includes a network of specialized observation towers along the country’s coast and its islands. The AUVs and surveillance systems are integrated into approximately 100 digitized navigation systems. The entire surveillance system is managed through command centers. In these centers, data is analyzed and visualized in real time.

The examples of Kuwait, Norway, the USA, and Canada demonstrate that protecting economic zones, large and small ports, and other critical infrastructure will require surface and underwater drones. The challenge will be to ensure the resilience of these types of surveillance, protection, and defense systems against cyberattacks and direct attacks.

SAR coordination, border protection, and the defense of designated water areas and critical infrastructure are also challenging. These are tasks for military strategists and tacticians. However, this will likely require the latest interdisciplinary knowledge in AI, machine learning, VR, digital twins, and quantum and satellite technologies.

Surface and underwater drones protect economic zones, maritime borders, and coastlines. Not yet in the Baltic Sea.