The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is DHS’s research and development arm and science adviser to the Secretary; it identifies operational needs across DHS, funds and tests technologies, works with industry/academia and Components (including the Coast Guard) to develop, evaluate and transition tools and procedures for homeland-security missions and first responders.
The Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC) is the USCG’s primary R&D, test-and-evaluation center (based in New London, CT) that develops, tests, and analyzes technologies and tactics for Coast Guard missions. The USCG Office of Search and Rescue (USCG SAR) is the policy and operational office that sets national SAR policy, doctrine, guidance and coordinates SAR operations—RDC does R&D and testing; the Office of SAR provides policy, requirements and operational coordination.
A mass rescue operation (MRO) is an incident at sea involving large numbers of people in the water or otherwise imperiled where normal rescue resources are overwhelmed or insufficient; definitions vary by agency but emphasize scale, concurrent casualties, and extended response needs. “Black Swan” in the article refers to rare, high‑impact, hard‑to‑predict events (large, unexpected MROs) for which routine Coast Guard assets and ranges may be inadequate.
On the MH‑60T used in the August 2025 test the device was carried in a packed canister/duffel-like bag inside the helicopter, released through the side door and lowered or pushed out; it was free‑released and inflated on water contact using onboard compressed‑air canisters. Other Coast Guard rotary‑wing types (MH‑60 variants) and suitably equipped civilian helicopters that can carry the ~100‑lb packed canister and clear the side‑door deployment are likely able to deploy it, subject to aircraft cargo/door geometry, load‑sling and aircrew procedures and safety approvals.
The article reports successful inflation and stable boarding in open water under helicopter rotor wash but does not specify numeric sea‑state, wind or wave limits; public test reporting notes stability with tethered ballast and that prior pool tests and this open‑water trial demonstrated boarding under rotor wash, but specific operational limits (maximum sea state, wind speed, wave height) were not provided in the article.
As of the article (Feb 10, 2026) DHS S&T reported the August 2025 open‑water demonstration but did not announce a Coast Guard or DHS procurement, fielding, or wide deployment plan; the article describes the technology as addressing a capability gap and S&T’s SBIR role in identifying the vendor but gives no procurement decision or fielding schedule.
S&T’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a federally funded R&D program that solicits technology proposals from small businesses, funds early‑stage development, and helps match promising vendors to DHS mission needs; for this device S&T used SBIR solicitations to collect industry responses, evaluate candidates and helped identify the VIKING product that met USCG requirements for the demonstration.