U.S. Tests Using Drones to Track, Target Suspected Narco Boats

U.S. 4th Fleet and U.S. Naval Southern Command recently tested the use of drones and artificial intelligence to track and target suspected narco boats and counter transnational organized crime. The drill, conducted in the waters off Key West, Fla., was part of this year’s iteration of the Navy’s annual Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) exercise, which spanned April 24-30, according to a Navy news release. The FLEX is a cornerstone of the commands’ strategy to field advanced robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) to address the challenge of patrolling vast maritime regions with a limited number of traditional naval assets, the release reads.