Drones to patrol Australian waters, keeping illegal vessels out
Australia will soon use drones to patrol its waters between Botany Bay and Ulladulla along the coast of New South Wales, Australia. The autonomous drones will be used to detect and investigate unauthorized vessels along with capturing weather data.
The drones are equipped with sensors and radar equipment to autonomously detect illegal vessels which then relays the information back to the operating center.
The in service drone goes by the name of The Bluebottle USV and is fully powered by the wind, waves, and sun, allowing it to be out at sea for months with it only coming back in for maintenance. The drone travels at 5 knots with a 300kg (~660 pounds) modular payload that has access to up to 50 watts.