V-BAT drone for Coast: The US Coast Guard said one of its ships made the biggest illegal drug seizure ever done by a single cutter. This happened because the crew used a special vertical drone called the MQ-35 V-BAT to help them hunt down smugglers. A Coast Guard spokesperson confirmed to Defense News that the story first shared by Business Insider, is true.
The Coast Guard Cutter Stone, which is a 418-foot national security cutter, brought in around 49,010 pounds of illegal drugs at Port Everglades in Florida. The huge load is worth about $362 million. The ship made 15 different seizures during its patrol, and the V-BAT drone helped the crew follow and catch smugglers moving across open water.
How does the V-BAT works at Sea?
The V-BAT comes from Shield AI. It can take off and land vertically, so it works well on ships with tight space. It also stays steady even in strong winds. It can carry different kinds of equipment and can keep working even when someone tries to jam GPS signals. Its small shape and strong fuel system make it good for long and quiet missions, reported Defence News.
The drone uses an AI-powered optical sensor that lets it look for targets for more than 13 hours without stopping. Only two people need to put it together, send it up and control it. The Coast Guard completed its main testing of the V-BAT in July. Its maker says the drone has now flown from almost every class of US Navy ship and with all seven Marine Expeditionary Units.
A Coast Guard spokesperson told Defense News “The continued availability of unmanned aircraft systems capabilities represents a critical addition to the Coast Guard’s airborne surveillance fleet, providing the persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capacity required for effective mission execution across the national security cutters’ diverse operational portfolio.”
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Three Smuggling Boats Found
Business Insider reported that the drone helped the Coast Guard find three drug boats in one single night. The crew sent the V-BAT into the air and watched the live video that streamed back to the Cutter Stone. The drone found the first suspicious boat, so the Coast Guard sent a helicopter. While the helicopter moved to the target, the drone stayed on its patrol and its camera spotted the water trail from another boat. The V-BAT kept going and soon found a 3rd smuggling vessel.
The drone watched the area the entire time while the Coast Guard stopped the boats and made arrests. Using the V-BAT led to seven suspected smugglers getting caught and about 12,000 pounds of cocaine taken from the three boats.
