Magnetic Sledge Aids Underwater Object Retrieval
of the magnets so it can be handled efficiently and for the height at which it is towed above the seabed to be precisely controlled. The Miko magnetic sledge is a potentially useful tool for police and accident investigations. One was recently used to successfully recover parts from a Super Puma helicopter that crashed into the sea near Bergen, Norway in April. The aircraft went down with the loss of two crew and 11 passengers during a flight from the Statoil Gulfaks-B platform. It went into relatively shallow water close to the shore near Turoey and subsequently caused the world’s
U.S. Approves BP Drone Surveys of Alaskan Oilfields
BP has been authorized to use unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, to conduct aerial surveys of pipelines and other infrastructure on Alaska's North Slope, the first commercial drone flights over land, U.S. authorities said on Tuesday. AeroVironment started flying its Puma AE drone to survey BP's pipelines, roads and equipment at Prudhoe Bay, the largest U.S. oilfield, on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration said. (Reporting by Ros Krasny; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Coast Guard to Test Arctic Oil Spill Technologies
various unmanned aerial systems (UAS), an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to search for simulated oil spills. To support planned UAS testing, the RDC has assembled a team to include National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) personnel operating a Puma UAS; University of Alaska, Fairbanks researchers operating Puma systems funded by The Center for Island, Maritime, and Extreme Environment Security; representatives from the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence and personnel from the U.S. Air Force Special Operations
USNS Swift Completes Aerostat and UAV Testing
High speed vessel USNS Swift (HSV-2) completed testing of the TIF-25K Aerostat (unmanned blimp) and a Puma unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and departed Key West for Operation Martillio, a Countering Transnational Organized Crime (C-TOC) mission in the U.S. 4th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR) May 1. The Aerostat and UAV demonstrated their unique capabilities to Commander, U.S. 4th Fleet, Rear Admiral Sinclair Harris, as they could serve as future platforms to conduct counter illicit trafficking operations in the AOR. "In the current fiscal environment, U.S. 4th Fleet is exploring innovative
February 2026
