U.S. to test remote-controlled aircraft over Arctic

Last Updated: Friday, May 30, 2008 | 1:14 PM CT Comments13Recommend4CBC News

The United States plans to try flying some remote-controlled aircraft in the Arctic this year, not only to boost its surveillance over the region but also to count marine mammals and look at signs of climate change.

The U.S. government plans to test the drone aircraft, known as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, on two flight operations over Alaska and Greenland this year. A UAV is also expected to circle the North Pole.

“This year is going to be the first time we’re ever going to use them to count marine mammals,” Scott Rayder, the chief of staff with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told CBC News Thursday at the Canadian Arctic Summit in Edmonton.

“We’re going to look at … the effects of climate change on ice in Greenland, another first,” he added. “So, what you’re going to see is a lot of firsts using unmanned aerial vehicles as environmental sensing platforms.”

Rayder said the aircraft will be equipped with various sensors that will take a wide range of measurements, including measuring greenhouse gas emissions.

If those test flights are successful, Rayder said his agency hopes to get funding from Congress to build fleets of UAVs for similar projects.

His agency also wants to team up with NASA and the Department of Homeland Security to use the UAVs for surveillance in the North.

“You talk about forest fires, climate change, marine mammals, fisheries enforcement,” Rayder said.

“There’s so many applications for these platforms, we just think they’re a great way for us to do business more efficiently in the future.”

Last year, the Canadian military said it wants to buy its own fleet of UAVs — equipped with cameras, radar, radios and possibly even weapons — to fly day-long surveillance flights over the Arctic. Officials told CBC News at the time that they hoped to acquire the new aircraft within five years.

The U.S. also plans to send fixed-wing aircraft to the region this year, as well as sending boats and helicopters to the North Slope region of Alaska.

“We’re going to do some experimentation this summer, or some trials,” said Capt. Michael Inman with the U.S. Coast Guard in Juneau, Alaska.

“[We’re] basically moving forces into the area and see what it takes to operate there, and then come back and talk about ‘OK, what do we need to do, what are the requirements, and what are the infrastructure requirements to do that?'”

With fish heading into the northern Bering Sea, and fishing boats following them, Inman said the U.S. needs to be prepared for any related violations and accidents.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2008/05/30/arctic-uav.html