Work will begin immediately to combine the operationally proven Saildrone Surveyor USV with Lockheed Martin’s JAGM Quad Launcher, using open architecture and secure command and control. Larger Saildrone vessels are also in development to support heavier payloads such as the Mk70 vertical launch system and advanced towed arrays.
“Lockheed Martin and Saildrone are leading the way to answer President Trump’s call for the defense industry to act differently and leverage the strength of all of industry for our national defense,” said Stephanie C. Hill, president, Rotary and Mission Systems, Lockheed Martin. “Together, we are combining the most sophisticated commercial and defense technologies to deliver a lethal naval solution at speed and scale. The nation needs this capability to maintain dominance over our adversaries, and we will deliver it.”
Saildrone, which has operated USVs on complex ocean missions since 2013 and first deployed them with the U.S. Navy in 2021, will retain responsibility for shipbuilding. Lockheed Martin will act as lead mission integrator, ensuring advanced payloads are seamlessly incorporated into Saildrone systems for roles such as surveillance, reconnaissance, and kinetic effects.
“For the last 10 years we have focused on evolving the reliability, endurance and autonomy of the Saildrone platform, which has been demonstrated in over 2 million nautical miles of active customer missions,” said Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO of Saildrone. “With our technology proven, de-risked and mission ready, now is the right time to augment Saildrone USVs with sophisticated payloads to meet warfighter needs. This collaboration will give Saildrone the tools we need to transform the capabilities of our platforms, to include electronic warfare, anti-submarine warfare, sophisticated surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as deploying kinetic effects, all seamlessly integrated with Lockheed Martin’s trusted command, control and fire control systems.”
The companies aim to fast-track fielding of these enhanced USVs to deliver operational capabilities at scale, while supporting job creation at shipyards including Austal USA. As the programme expands, the work is expected to contribute to economic growth across the U.S. maritime and defence industrial base.
