A Framework for Integrating Unoccupied Aircraft Systems Technology into Environmental Readiness at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific

Abstract

The Department of Defense is the third largest federal land managing agency in the United States; using approximately 30 million acres, and marine environments, to train and test. The Navy’s ability to adequately train and test is the cornerstone of mission readiness. Therefore, the Navy must sustainably manage its lands, waters, and other natural resources to ensure mission readiness. The Environmental Readiness branch at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific performs a myriad of compliance and monitoring tasks in support of the Navy’s dual commitment to mission readiness and to environmental stewardship. This project provides a framework for the Environmental Readiness team to integrate Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) technology into compliance and monitoring efforts by examining four tasks: 1) rocky intertidal baseline mapping 2) plant cover classification 3) eel grass habitat mapping, and 4) wildlife detection. This basic framework serves as a foundation for future exploration and evaluation of UAS applications for Environmental Readiness tasking.