Coast Guard autonomous sail drones deployed in Great Lakes

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Published  May 6, 2026 12:01pm CDT
FOX6 News Milwaukee

U.S. Coast Guard autonomous sail drone

The Brief

    • The U.S. Coast Guard is deploying wind- and solar-powered autonomous sail drones on the Great Lakes from May to October.
    • These vessels will monitor maritime borders, track illegal activity, gather weather data, and assist in emergency response planning.
    • Each drone uses collision-avoidance AI and 24/7 human monitoring to ensure safe navigation.

MILWAUKEE - The U.S. Coast Guard will soon deploy autonomous sail drones on the Great Lakes to support Coast Guard missions. 

Sail drones to deploy

What we know:

A news release from the Coast Guard says the autonomous drones are wind- and solar-powered vessels that will help the Coast Guard monitor the Great Lakes, gather critical weather data for emergency response planning, track illicit activity, and keep our maritime borders safe.

The drones will support Coast Guard missions on the Great Lakes this summer from May to October.

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The autonomous vessels are highly visible, equipped with radar, cameras and collision-avoidance artificial intelligence, and monitored 24/7 by human operators who can take manual control if needed. Sail drones are equipped with sensors that are strictly focused on maritime domain awareness, providing critical information on vessel activities, including vessels in distress or conducting illegal operations.

The Source: Information in this post was provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes District.

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