Unmanned Aircraft Could Monitor Polar Ice Caps

8 2,009

By Stew Magnuson

Advances in unmanned surveillance aircraft would make it possible for the Navy to keep watch over the polar ice caps 24/7. But the lack of communications infrastructure would be a problem, said Vice Adm. Bernard J. "Barry" McCullough, III, deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources.

Receding polar ice caps are regarded by the U.S. military as a national security concern.

Speaking at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference, in Washington, D.C., McCullough cited the polar regions as areas that could be monitored with unmanned systems if satellite communications links were available. "What is the communications strategy to getting information onto these vehicles in polar regions?" asked McCullough. "Is that where our communications satellites go? I don't think so.”

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