As New Zealand Examines Disaster Response Operations, MQ-9B SeaGuardian Is An Ideal Tool

Cyclone Gabrielle was one of the worst storms ever to hit New Zealand. It resulted in the loss of precious lives and property damage worth billions of dollars. Additionally, 300-400mm of rainfall, wind gusts of 130-140 km/h, wave heights up to 11m and a storm surge greater than 0.5m punished communities on the North Island. These effects were exacerbated by a serious flooding event just one month earlier.

New Zealand’s response to the disaster was rapid and involved a whole-of-government effort. A storm of this magnitude and the unprecedented damage it caused would have tested any government’s response and it certainly proved challenging for New Zealand authorities. Through courage, determination and skill, the authorities and first responders -assisted by everyday New Zealanders -- responded magnificently to save lives, assist those in danger and aid in the recovery process.

Much can be learned from the response to this disaster, including on the provision of additional systems which may have assisted in mitigating its impacts. This article outlines how the MQ-9B SeaGuardian® contributes to disaster responses, whilst also providing a range of other all-of-government capabilities, including resource protection, border surveillance and roles for Defence.

The MQ-9B SeaGuardian is a longrange, long-endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), capable of carrying a range of powerful payloads on missions exceeding 30 hours. It can take off and land automatically from 4,000foot airstrips, with a small-deployed footprint and a maintenance turnaround time of two hours or less. SeaGuardian can operate in all weather, due to its rugged design, lightning protection and both antiice and de-ice systems. Nothing else in its class offers the same high reliability, availability, and cost effectiveness compared with humancrewed systems.

Humanitarian assistance and disaster response is a core capability for unmanned aircraft like SeaGuardian. Earlier-model variants have proven themselves time and time again in wildfires, after storms, amid floods and more. They can loiter high above affected areas and provide priceless real-time intelligence as well as other vital services in the early minutes and hours after a major incident.

MQ-9B can show live, fullmotion video any time of day or night. Its Lynx multi-mode radar produces high-resolution imaging through clouds, mist or smoke. And it can carry a number of highly valuable payloads in addition to its onboard equipment.

A SkyTower pod to provide broadband communication services to thousands of high-priority users, including first responders, is one example. The aircraft is flown via satellite communication and it also can connect with airborne and seaborne responders across broad areas. Real-time video transmission to tactical platforms and emergency response headquarters staff could also be provided.

The operating altitude of the SeaGuardian could range from 1,000-35,000 feet depending on environmental conditions, and sensor or communications requirements. During the approach of a cyclone, the SeaGuardian can operate above the cloud layer with plenty of range and endurance for flexibility in choosing its flight path. Immediately after the storm impacts the coast, the SeaGuardian can be back on-station, employing a flexible flight profile to maximize its sensor and communications performance.

A range of tasking opportunities would have been available for a SeaGuardian during this disaster. Noting that Cyclone Gabrielle formed 10 days prior to striking the North Island, and its track was known with reasonable certainty a few days prior, the opportunity existed for SeaGuardian to perform pre-disaster surveying of coastlines and inland areas using very highresolution Synthetic Aperture Radar mapping. This would have provided a valuable baseline for post-disaster analysis of the damage to infrastructure and inundation. Communications with first responders could have also been refined during this period.

Immediately after the disaster, the SeaGuardian could have commenced post-disaster mapping and surveillance (one 24-hour sortie per day), using its high-resolution radar and electronic surveillance sensors to monitor storm damage and to search for distress signals.

Synthetic Aperture Radar and the employment of coherent change detection (CCD) algorithms would be employed to rapidly identify areas of damage and inundation. SeaGuardian could also monitor for Search and Rescue emergency beacons and identify people in distress over land or at sea using its EO/IR system. Its pervasive presence could have provided valuable information to first responders on people in imminent danger and allowed for the rapid prioritisation of the many pressing rescue and response tasks.

Beyond emergency response, the SeaGuardian roles, include, but are not limited to, maritime, littoral, and overland surveillance; fisheries and resource protection; overland and maritime search and rescue; fire and emergency support; environmental and infrastructure monitoring; support to law enforcement and Defence applications. These operations could be undertaken across the vast NZ area of interest from the Equator to the Southern Ocean. SeaGuardian is currently in operation in the Indo-Pacific, including with the Japan Coast Guard.

New Zealand can expect to have severe weather events like Gabrielle with increasing frequency, and it is no stranger to other natural disasters, including earthquakes. With an MQ-9B SeaGuardian system, New Zealand could be much better postured for responses to such disasters.

For regular military or civilian overland, littoral, maritime surveillance and communication support roles, the MQ-9B SeaGuardian has flexible and proven capabilities. With this capability comes the ability to provide rapid and flexible response options across a wide range of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief scenarios. During disasters like Cyclone Gabrielle, the SeaGuardian could provide valuable and cost-effective surveillance and communications support in the lead up to any disaster and during the vital days and weeks following. SeaGuardian’s ability to provide lengthy time on-station could prove extremely valuable to first responders and save lives.

In addition to providing a vital tool for first responders, SeaGuardian’s contribution to New Zealand for operations across the broader South Pacific or in the Southern Oceans warrants close consideration. It is available now, through acquisition or lease.