Auxiliary Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Civilian, contracted, or reserve fixed-wing aircraft and drones that extend maritime domain awareness beyond what surface units and satellites cover, flying surveillance for fisheries, pollution, smuggling, and SAR cueing. Examples include EMSA’s RPAS service and aircraft operated under coast-guard auxiliaries; they carry FLIR, AIS receivers, and SLAR or radar to detect dark vessels and spills. They feed sightings to MRCCs and fusion centers rather than conducting interdiction themselves.