The Coast Guard demonstrated a number of autonomous and semi-autonomous drones to a small group of reporters at the service’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

The service recently announced a significant transformation effort called Force Design 2028 (FD2028), which Vice Adm. Thomas Allan, acting Vice Commandant, described on Tuesday as a “once in a generation effort to transform the Coast Guard.”

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“Today, I’m particularly excited to highlight the establishment of the robotics and autonomous systems or RAS Program Executive Office,” which he said would be “the most transformational enhancement of the Coast Guard’s capabilities since the inception of aviation.”

The new office “allow[s] us to stay ahead of the curve, translating emerging technologies into real world capability, not in years, but now,” Allan continued. “It also empowers us to advocate for the resources we need and streamline our acquisition process, ensuring we can adapt to innovation. We are already behind in this technology revolution, and we can’t afford to wait.”

The Coast Guard has already begun integrating autonomous and semi-autonomous systems into its operations. Its missions range from smuggling interdictions in waterways off the U.S. coastline to aiding in search and rescue operations in emergency situations, and autonomous systems will be a part of how both roles are conducted moving forward.

From late-June through mid-August, the Coast Guard conducted 19 interdictions of suspicious vessels, leading to the seizure of more than 75,000 pounds of illegal narcotics, valued at $473 million. They seized more than 61,000 pounds of cocaine and nearly 16,000 pounds of marijuana in those busts.

“The Coast Guard continues leading U.S. efforts to control, secure, and defend the U.S. border and maritime approaches,” said Admiral Kevin Lunday, acting Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. “The cutter HAMILTON’s record-breaking offload is the latest demonstration of the success of Operation Pacific Viper, the Coast Guard’s aggressive operations to defeat drug smugglers at sea in the Eastern Pacific Ocean near Central and South America.”

The U.S. coastline is more than 95,000 miles long and the Coast Guard is responsible for patrolling the waters off the coast. 80% of all drug seizures from U.S. law enforcement occur at sea, according to the Coast Guard, showing the dominant role the service plays in preventing the smuggling of drugs into the United States.

The Coast Guard is utilizing a drone called the V-BAT, which is developed by Shield AI, to identify and track vessels at sea. The service recently used the drone aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone to track a smuggling vessel south of the Galápagos Islands, Shield AI announced earlier this week.

The V-BAT, which was on display for reporters to view on Tuesday, was able to provide “continuous surveillance and vectored in the helicopter that disabled the vessel’s engine,” Shield AI said on social media.

There were other drones on display at the Coast Guard event, including the Insitu Inc. ScanEagle UAS, the Puma Throwable drone, and an Arctic Uncrewed Ground Vehicle, among other technology.

Within the last couple of days, the Coast Guard rescued three people off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, rescued four people from a breakwall at night near Frankfort, Michigan, and rescued a man from a downed aircraft near Alaska.

When one of these incidents occurs, both air and sea assets can be involved in searches, and the inclusion of drones will allow the Coast Guard to more strategically deploy personnel and help the search.

COAST GUARD OFFLOADS MORE THAN 75,000 POUNDS OF DRUGS INTERDICTED IN CENTRAL AMERICAN WATERS

The Trump administration has actively taken a more aggressive approach to combating drug cartel operations, including deploying military assets to the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

The Pentagon recently deployed the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson in support of the counternarcotics operations, while President Donald Trump previously designated a handful of Central American gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).