CUAS and satellite capabilities to be among US Coast Guard’s acquisition priorities in FY2026
Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team members launch a drone. (Photo: US Coast Guard)
The US Coast Guard (USCG) procurement list in FY2026 will likely include capabilities related to counter-UAS (CUAS), satellite and software to enable integrating its systems with other law enforcement federal and state agencies.
Speaking on 20 May in a hearing at the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Kristi Noem, claimed that the USCG tasks require “every cutter” to be equipped with CUAS technology.
“They see drones every day out there on the waters and in the work that they do,” Noem pointed out. “They cannot find out why
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base
Extending far beyond a four-submarine replacement programme, France’s ballistic missile submarine effort is a decades-long industrial initiative designed to preserve the country’s ability to build and sustain nuclear-powered strategic platforms.
-
China’s mineral processing dominance exposes naval supply chain vulnerabilities
Competition for critical minerals, and China’s dominance of their processing, is emerging as a decisive factor in future naval procurement programmes.
-
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.