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Uncrewed Systems Operations Center 2024 Accomplishments

A collage of images containing uncrewed systems and their operators.

As we close out 2024 and enter a new calendar year, let’s take a look at 10 of the Uncrewed Systems Operations Center’s top accomplishments for fiscal year 2024. Uncrewed systems serve as a force multiplier for NOAA by enhancing traditional data collection and allowing data collection in minimally observed regions. In doing so, NOAA can increase the productivity, safety, and longevity of its data collection and better meet its mission of science, service, and stewardship. This work will continue to grow NOAA’s capabilities in using uncrewed systems to meet NOAA mission needs across the country. 

  1. Supported 32 distinct projects across NOAA to develop and operate uncrewed systems to gather mission critical data. Notable advances in uncrewed systems through supported projects include: 
Two people hold on to yellow underwater gliders in the front of a small boat as they approach an island.
  1. Increased our knowledge of hurricane systems and improved forecasting and storm situational awareness with uncrewed systems. During the 2024 hurricane season NOAA and its partners deployed 19 Blackswift uncrewed aircraft from NOAA Hurricane Hunter planes, conducted over 44 glider missions, and operated 12 Saildrone uncrewed surface vehicles that all gathered data in the path of hurricanes for NOAA scientists.  
2024 hurricane season platform recap
  1. Acquired NOAA’s second corporate uncrewed marine system, DriX uncrewed surface vehicle, and ran NOAA’s first in-house DriX operator training to familiarize new pilots with the systems and improve operational efficiency and safety. Meet the DriX in this video.
  2. Supported 37,800 flight minutes in over 3,210 uncrewed aircraft flights across NOAA.
  3. Partnered with over 17 academic institutions, more than 10 industry operators of uncrewed systems, and numerous other government agencies to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of NOAA's environmental observations via uncrewed systems. Example partnerships include: 

    An uncrewed aircraft being tested for severe weather research.

 

 

 

  1. Awarded 28 new Department of Defense-certified ‘Blue Drones’ to NOAA offices and conducted 10 trainings across the country to train 49 new NOAA uncrewed aircraft operators. By growing NOAA's team of uncrewed aircraft operators, we are improving the efficiency and safety of operations.
  2. Supported NOAA uncrewed systems operations across the country via provisioning of trained personnel and platforms. Example operations include: 

    A team of NOAA personnel learn to operate on the DriX system.
  1. Developed two new funding opportunities to encourage advancements in uncrewed systems usage across NOAA with partners in academia and industry for 2025 and beyond. These funding opportunities will support NOAA researchers and their partners in making breakthroughs for NOAA with uncrewed systems. Check out our past funded works here and here.
  2. Surveyed previously unobserved or minimally observed parts of the atmosphere and oceans via uncrewed systems. Uncrewed systems allowed NOAA to access areas that are otherwise difficult to access (due to safety, cost, and other resources) by traditional sampling methods. Example efforts to survey these areas include: 

    A bright orange Saildrone uncrewed surface vehicle on the water

 

  1. Published four reports and analyses on NOAA’s uncrewed systems work that analyze and highlight NOAA’s uncrewed systems work. These documents feature critical uncrewed systems efforts from the U.S. East Coast to Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific territories, and from the Arctic to the Gulf Coast. They also assess NOAA’s historic uncrewed systems work and direct NOAA future uncrewed systems work. Check out the reports in the ‘Resources’ page.