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Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy (CG-5P) Publishes Guidance on Oversight of Unmanned, Autonomous and Remote-Control Operations

June 5, 2026 | By Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy (CG-5P)

The Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy (CG-5P) announces the publication of the new Work Instruction (WI), Oversight of Unmanned, Autonomous, and Remote-Control Operations (5P-WI-002(1)). This policy serves to provide direction and guidance to Captains of the Port (COTPs) and Officers in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) evaluating operations involving unmanned, autonomous or remote-controlled maritime technologies within the Marine Transportation System (MTS). The WI addresses three distinct types of operations:

  1. Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS): not subject to Coast Guard inspection and not Carrying Passengers for Hire.
  2. Uninspected Passenger Vessels (UPV): COTPs and OCMIs shall forward requests to test or operate UMS for any UPV as defined in 46 U.S.C. 2101.
  3. Inspected Vessels: COTPs and OCMIs shall forward requests to test or operate UMS for any vessels required to be inspected under 46 U.S.C. 3301.

To ensure Coast Guard-wide consistency, 5P-WI-002(1) streamlines how COTPs and OCMIs process requests to test autonomous and remote-control systems on vessels.

For any questions regarding the WI, please contact CG-CVC@uscg.mil. For any questions regarding testing or deployment of unmanned, autonomous, or remote-controlled systems, please contact your local COTP/OCMI.

autonomous systems remote controlled unmanned uncrewed CG-CVC CG-WWM CG-5P Work Instruction policy

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This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official publications, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These publications remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.

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