PRESS RELEASES

Saildrone Launches 2026 Hurricane Mission to Support NOAA Rapid Intensification Research

10 Saildrone USVs will collect real-time metocean data to improve understanding of hurricane rapid intensification, a significant risk to national and economic security.

Saildrone Unveils Spectre, a New Class of High-speed Unmanned Surface Vessel for Naval Operations

Spectre is designed to provide persistent anti-submarine warfare, ISR, and strike capability.

Saildrone Expands CUI Protection Capabilities with Successful Integration of Sub-bottom Profiler

The Saildrone Voyager, equipped with the SBP, surveyed critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea in support of the Danish Armed Forces.

Woolpert and Saildrone Partner to Deploy Surveyor Uncrewed Surface Vehicle for NOAA Seafloor Mapping Project Off Coast of Mariana Islands

The data collected will help enhance understanding of habitats, geohazards, and oceanographic conditions across 13,000 sq nm in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

Saildrone Completes Pioneering Mapping Mission of Cayman Islands’ EEZ

The Cayman Islands is the first country in the world to have its exclusive economic zone mapped using autonomous systems, unlocking opportunities to expand its Blue Economy.

Lockheed Martin Invests $50M in Saildrone to Advance Unmanned Surface Vehicle Capabilities for US Navy

Lockheed Martin will rapidly equip Saildrone USVs with all-domain defense technology for lethal military applications.

American Bureau of Shipping Issues Full Class for Saildrone Surveyor Deep-water, Ocean-going USV

Full ABS classification sets a new benchmark for the safety and reliability of autonomous maritime operations.

Baltic Sea Demonstration Showcases Saildrone Capabilities for NATO Task Force X Baltic

Saildrone Voyager USVs deliver persistent surveillance, detect high-interest vessels, and enable rapid-response coordination during NATO’s Baltic Sea demonstration.

Saildrone and Meta Complete First Unmanned, Autonomous Deep-Water Route Survey in the North Atlantic

The 26-day mission demonstrated that Saildrone can deliver deep-water mapping accuracy comparable to traditional vessels while reducing HSE risk and cost.

Saildrone Closes $60M Financing to Bring Maritime Autonomy to Europe

The new funding round led by EIFO enables access to Saildrone’s unique maritime intelligence technology for critical European security and defense needs.

Danish Armed Forces to Begin Operational Testing of Saildrone USVs

Four Saildrone Voyagers will be deployed in Danish waters in June 2025.

Saildrone Announces European Expansion Based in Copenhagen

Saildrone Denmark will facilitate European operations and support US-allied nations at a critical time for regional maritime security.

Saildrone and Thales Australia Demonstrate Game-changing Capability for Autonomous Anti-Submarine Warfare

Successful integration of the Saildrone Surveyor with the BlueSentry sonar array is an important step in autonomous maritime capability developments between AUKUS partners.

Saildrone Appoints Vice Admiral John Mustin as President

Mustin will focus on accelerating defense and intelligence business growth to meet the significant increase in global demand for Saildrone’s capabilities.

Saildrone Deploys New Technology to Operate in GPS-denied Environments

The Saildrone Voyager platform has been equipped with new hardware and software algorithms, making it capable of operating in areas of GPS jamming and spoofing.

Saildrone and Palantir Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance AI-Powered Maritime Intelligence

Saildrone will leverage Palantir’s AI technology to deliver unprecedented insights for maritime intelligence, surveillance, and targeting applications.

Saildrone Launches in St. Pete for First Ocean Mapping Mission of Florida’s Coastal Waters

Saildrone has launched two Voyager USVs from St. Petersburg for the first time to map waters in the Gulf of America as part of the Florida Seafloor Mapping Initiative.

Saildrone Teams Up with JIATF-S and NAVSOUTH to Stop the Flow of Illegal Drugs into the United States

20 Saildrone Voyager USVs are being deployed in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific for US Navy 4th Fleet to detect illegal activity in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Saildrone Awarded Contract to Map Florida’s Coastal Waters

Saildrone has been selected by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to map waters in the Gulf of Mexico as part of the Florida Seafloor Mapping Initiative.

House Armed Services Committee Members Visit Saildrone HQ After Hearing Testimony from Industry

Saildrone CEO Richard Jenkins was one of 5 tech CEOs to testify before the House Armed Services Committee in a session on Department of Defense acquisition.

Saildrone Completes Autonomous Survey of Gulf of Maine to Identify Potential Deep-sea Coral Habitat

Saildrone has surveyed 1,500 sq. nm in the Jordan and Georges Basins that had never before been mapped in high resolution.

Saildrone Surveyor to Begin Mapping Cayman Islands EEZ

This mission represents a major milestone in ocean mapping: surveying 80% of the Cayman Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) using autonomous technology.

Saildrone Avoids 99% of Comparable Maritime Emissions

Saildrone’s first annual Carbon Impact Report highlights that in 2022, the dramatic amount of maritime data collection emissions that can be avoided by using USVs.

Saildrone and Thales Australia Advance Autonomous Long-range Undersea Surveillance with USV–Towed Array Integration

Thales Australia’s BlueSentry thin-line towed array will be integrated with Saildrone Surveyor-class USVs for autonomous anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions in the open ocean.

Saildrone Launches First Production Surveyor off the Manufacturing Line at Austal USA

SD-3000 is the first aluminum Surveyor USV, designed for long-range, long-endurance ocean mapping and maritime domain awareness.

Saildrone Issued First-ever Interim Classification for a Commercial Autonomous, Uncrewed Vehicle from the American Bureau of Shipping

Classification was issued for the Saildrone Voyager, demonstrating Saildrone’s commitment to safety, standardization, and reliability in its technology and operations.

Saildrone Completes First-of-its-Kind Mission to Detect Bats at Sea Using Autonomous Vehicles

On behalf of Bat Conservation International, this 31-night mission tested the feasibility of recording bats using an ultrasonic microphone mounted on a Saildrone USV.

Saildrone Fleet Surpasses 1,000,000 Nautical Miles and 32,000 Days at Sea

The milestone underscores the reliability of the vehicle, and confirms Saildrone’s position as the only proven long-range, long-endurance uncrewed platform.

NDBC Replaces Weather Buoy with Saildrone USV in National Marine Sanctuary

National Data Buoy Center replaced a coastal weather buoy in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary with a saildrone to mitigate impacts caused by mooring material.

Saildrone and NOAA Secure New Guinness Record for Measuring Hurricane Winds

The highest wind speed recorded by a USV was measured by Saildrone Explorer SD-1045 as it passed through the eyewall of Hurricane Sam in 2021.

New Acoustic Technology Protects Marine Mammals while Enabling Renewable Offshore Energy

Saildrone and RPS are using smart tools to provide long-term monitoring of endangered species over large areas slated for offshore wind development.

Saildrone Redeploys “Hurricane Sam” Ocean Drone for 2023 Mission

The redeployment of the SD-1045, famous for capturing the first video from inside a major hurricane at sea, marks a significant milestone in hurricane research.

Saildrone Deploys a Record 12 Ocean Drones to Study Hurricanes

The Saildrone Explorers are one of several tools NOAA is using to improve hurricane forecasting—and keep coastal communities safer.

ABS Issues Approval in Principle for Saildrone Uncrewed Surface Vehicles

ABS has issued the first-ever Approval in Principal certificates for a commercial USV to Saildrone for its Voyager and Surveyor ocean data collection platforms

Seabed 2030 and Saildrone Partner to Advance Global Ocean Mapping

Signed at Ocean Business 2023, the MOU outlines a shared commitment to leveraging technological innovation to make bathymetric data available to the global community.

Saildrone Scales Production of New Mid-size USV

To meet the growing demand for advanced data-collection capabilities at sea, Saildrone has developed a new class of USV, the 33-foot Voyager.

Saildrone Completes World-first Uncrewed Alaska Ocean Mapping Mission

Saildrone surveyed more than 45,000 square kilometers of previously unknown ocean floor to address ocean exploration gaps in remote areas.

Saildrone Captures Video Inside Category 4 Hurricane Fiona

For the second year, NOAA and Saildrone are hurricane chasing with uncrewed wind-powered vehicles.

Whale-protecting Ocean Drones Accelerate Offshore Wind

Saildrone will use ground-breaking technology and uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) to protect marine wildlife, enabling the acceleration of offshore wind energy.

With Soaring Temperatures and Extreme Weather Events, Ocean Data Has Never Been More Important

Two ocean drones are collecting data in the Gulf of Mexico to help monitor weather and the impact of climate change.

Ocean Drones Launched in Lake Superior to Support $7B Great Lakes Fishery

Saildrone USVs are collecting data to improve fish counts, monitor environmental health, and help to protect native fish species.

Hurricane Drones Bravely Heading Back to the Atlantic… And the Gulf of Mexico

In partnership with NOAA, Saildrone is again launching a fleet of ocean drones to collect critical hurricane data to make coastal communities safer.

Navy League of the United States Recognizes Ocean Drone Technology with Annual Innovation Award

The award was presented to Saildrone Founder and CEO Richard Jenkins at the Sea Air Space conference, held April 4 – 6, 2022.

The Future of Long-endurance Low-carbon Survey is Here: Sulmara Inks Services Agreement for 10 Saildrone Voyager USVs

Saildrone and Sulmara commit to growing the adoption of USV surveys in the offshore energy sector across the globe.

Saildrone’s New Ocean Mapping HQ to Support Critical Florida Coastline Initiatives

Known for its 2021 groundbreaking video from inside a category 4 hurricane, Saildrone is broadening its efforts to keep coastal communities in the region safe.

Carbon and the Ocean: Saildrones Help Us Understand Our Planet’s Future

Ocean observations are urgently needed to close uncertainties in the global carbon budget, understand and predict climate, and hold countries accountable for carbon goals.

Saildrone Closes $100 Million Series C Funding Round to Advance Ocean Intelligence Products

Led by BOND, the new financing will be used to grow Saildrone’s data insight teams and scale go-to-market functions for ocean domain intelligence.

World First: Ocean Drone Captures Video from Inside a Category 4 Hurricane

NOAA and Saildrone are collecting scientific data from inside Hurricane Sam.

Ocean Drones with Zero Operational Carbon Footprint Helping to Mitigate Climate Change

With the need for renewable energy sources at an all-time high, Saildrone’s low-carbon ocean drones can help make new offshore wind farms a reality.

World’s Most Advanced Autonomous Research Vehicle Completes Ocean Crossing from San Francisco to Hawaii

Following this successful proof of concept voyage, Saildrone will build a fleet of Surveyors, manufactured at US shipyards, to map Earth’s oceans in the next 10 years.

Ocean Drones Brave Hurricanes to Make Coastal Communities Safer

In partnership with NOAA, Saildrone will launch a fleet of ocean drones to collect in situ observations of ocean-atmosphere interactions during a hurricane.

Pioneering Study to Improve Weather Prediction and Global Carbon Budget Understanding

Google.org supports Saildrone’s ambitious mission to collect year-round ocean data in the turbulent waters of the Gulf Stream.

Introducing the Saildrone Surveyor

Saildrone launches the world’s largest and most advanced autonomous surface vehicle for ocean exploration.