Coastal Search & Rescue

Coastal search and rescue operations are among the most challenging emergency missions. High waves, strong currents, limited visibility, and rapidly changing conditions leave little margin for error. Conventional drones offer only short flight times, while crewed boats and helicopters expose responders to significant risk.

deJongSmit’s dual-domain system is designed specifically for these conditions.

A tethered UAV provides continuous aerial overwatch above the surf zone, maintaining visual contact even during prolonged searches or at night. At the same time, the USV operates safely at the surface, coordinating response and supporting sonar-based localization near or below the waterline.

This combination enables SAR teams to:

• Maintain situational awareness throughout the operation 
• Track drifting or partially submerged casualties
• Reduce reliance on high-risk crewed assets
• Make faster, better-informed decisions
   

The result is a safer, more persistent SAR capability when time and conditions matter most.

Floods create chaotic environments where access is limited, visibility is poor, and communications are often disrupted. Emergency services must quickly understand where people are stranded, which routes are passable, and how conditions are evolving.

deJongSmit’s platform supports flood response by providing rapid, persistent situational awareness without placing responders in harm’s way.

From the surface, the USV navigates flooded streets and waterways while acting as a communications hub. The tethered UAV provides elevated EO/IR visibility, enabling rooftop scanning, detection of stranded individuals, and real-time monitoring of affected areas. When ground infrastructure is compromised, the system can also serve as a temporary communications relay.

This allows response teams to:

• Identify stranded survivors more quickly
• Coordinate rescue efforts in real time
• Monitor evolving flood conditions
• Operate continuously during extended incidents
   

The system complements existing flood-response tools by extending visibility and endurance where it is most needed.

While search and rescue is the primary focus, the system architecture also supports optional configurations for monitoring ports and critical maritime infrastructure.

In these scenarios, the platform provides persistent surface and aerial awareness to support:

• Perimeter monitoring
• Night-time observation
• Incident assessment and response

Using the same safety-first design principles as SAR operations, the system can operate for extended periods without fatigue, offering authorities an additional layer of situational awareness when required.

This dual-use capability is intentionally secondary and leverages the same core technology developed for emergency response.