- The Coast Guard has launched a dedicated office for uncrewed systems oversight
- CG-781 and RAS-PEO divide capability and acquisition duties
- The 2026 Homeland Security Summit will explore counter-drone coordination, AI and more
The U.S. Coast Guard has created the Office of Robotics and Autonomous Forces, or CG-781, to oversee the service’s growing portfolio of drones and other uncrewed platforms.
The Coast Guard, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, is organizing its workforce and resources around an expanding set of uncrewed and counter-drone technologies. The Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 10 will feature panel discussions on coordination for counter-drone operations, edge capabilities, AI and the future of investigative intelligence, and more. Register now to join the conversation.
The Coast Guard said Monday the new program office will help bring consistency in how personnel operate uncrewed platforms during missions and create career tracks for operators.
What Is the Role of CG-781?
CG-781 acts as the program office and sponsor for the Coast Guard’s robotics and autonomous systems. Its responsibilities include building and sustaining capabilities; overseeing training pipelines; setting force structure, standards and operational tactics; and administering the new Robotics Missions Specialist, or RMS, rating.
The Coast Guard said CG-781 will serve as the permanent structure supporting autonomous operations as those missions increase in number and scope.
The service has released the application timeline for members seeking lateral transfers into the RMS rating. Selection is underway, and the Coast Guard expects to notify applicants by the end of September.
What Is the Role of RAS-PEO?
The Coast Guard has split oversight of its robotics and autonomous systems between capability management, led by CG-781, and acquisitions, led by the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Program Executive Office, or RAS-PEO.
Established in 2025, RAS-PEO focuses on acquiring and sustaining autonomous platforms, handling the contracting, purchasing and procurement of drones and similar systems. Under this arrangement, RAS-PEO obtains the equipment, while CG-781 prepares the workforce to use it through organization and training.
How Is the Coast Guard Expanding Its Unmanned Capabilities?
The launch of CG-781 follows the Coast Guard’s plans to invest nearly $350 million in robotics and autonomous systems, including remotely operated vehicles, ground robots and drones. The service is also working toward its first MQ-9 drone fleet, using about $266 million in reconciliation funding to buy up to four unarmed MQ-9B aircraft.
In January, the Coast Guard released an update on Force Design 2028, its modernization roadmap. The initiative’s technology campaign aims to create a next-generation maritime surveillance capability and establish a rapid response prototype team. As part of the effort, the service selected PRATUS as its enterprise incident management platform. The Coast Guard is also establishing a Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at the Coast Guard Academy.
Since 2025, the service said it has committed more than $450 million to autonomous technologies, including unmanned aircraft and counter-drone systems, unmanned surface and ground vehicles, and remotely operated underwater vehicles.
