Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1545043
16 | NORTH STAR PORT | SPRING 2026 PHOTOS / U.S. Coast Guard, MarineTraffic.com PORT LOGBOOK estern Lake Supe- r i o r w i t n e s s e d d e p l o y m e n t o f n e w U. S . C o a s t Guard-contracted assets on May 5, as uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) took to the water from Duluth- Superior on a multifaceted maiden mission. The effort is part of a broader Great L a ke s i n i t i a t i ve t h a t w i l l u t i l i z e uncrewed vessels operating on multiple lakes from May through October of this year, with Lake Superior serving as one of the early test locations. Leveraging a contract awarded by the Coast Guard to enhance maritime domain awareness, these 33-foot USVs are tasked with gathering critical data for emergency response planning, tracking illicit activity and helping keep maritime borders safe. The wind- and solar-powered USVs are highly visible and sophisticated in their navigational and technological capabilities. Manufac- tured by California-based Saildrone, they come equipped with radar, cameras and collision-avoid- ance artificial intelligence. They are monitored 24/7 by human operators who can take manual control if needed. These USVs are fur- nished with sensors strictly focused on maritime domain awareness, providing crit- ical information on vessel activities, including vessels in distress or conducting illegal operations. Mariners transiting the Duluth or Superior entries and main shipping lanes may encoun- ter the USVs on or near established traffic routes, but Coast Guard officials emphasized that they are not a navi- gational hazard to the boating public and are monitored remotely 24/7 by human operators. The USVs' operation is part of a new Coast Guard Robotics and Autonomous Systems Program created to acceler- ate development and use of advanced systems and tools for protecting U.S. waterways. The program views USVs like these as force multipliers that can maintain a constant watch over wide areas. This frees Coast Guard crews for higher-pri- ority search-and-rescue, icebreaking and marine inspection duties critical to the region's supply chain. It also sup- ports the essential needs of Coast Guard crews operating on the Great Lakes. In the unlikely event that one of these vessels is compromised, the Coast Guard's Northern Great Lakes Com- mand Center will dispatch a specialized recovery team. Members of the public should not make contact with the USVs or attempt to recover them. U.S. Coast Guard debuts autonomous Saildrone vessels on Lake Superior The USVs use AIS and appear on ship-tracking tools like MarineTraffic.com.