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Saildrone is announcing today that the Saildrone Surveyor, the largest of our three unmanned surface vehicle (USV) platforms, has received full classification from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). This milestone follows a similar classification for the Voyager, Saildrone’s coastal and near-shore USV, which received ABS class in 2023.
For over 160 years, classification societies like ABS have defined the standards that ensure vessels are safe to operate and built to withstand the ocean’s harshest conditions. Achieving class means passing a comprehensive review of a vessel’s design, construction, and operations.
While other platforms have received certificates or interim approvals under evolving unmanned vessel frameworks, no other USV or UUV has yet received full classification status from any classification society. ABS is the first to grant full class to an unmanned platform, marking a key milestone for the industry and for Saildrone.
This landmark achievement sets a new global benchmark for unmanned systems and highlights Saildrone’s leadership in developing fully classed, open-ocean-capable USVs.
“The ABS class certification is more than a certificate—it’s a signal to governments and the maritime industry that Saildrone USVs are mature, safe, tested, and ready for scale,” said Richard Jenkins, Saildrone founder and CEO. “It’s been a very large investment and a multi-year process to achieve ABS Class Certification, but we are proud to be the first company in the world to do so and proud that our systems have reached the highest standards as required by the ABS Class certificate.”
To date, Saildrone has built six Surveyor USVs, supporting missions around the world for defense, government, and commercial customers.
Raising the Bar for Autonomous Maritime Systems
ABS class is an internationally recognized standard for safety, design integrity, and operational reliability. The classification process is a rigorous review and validation of a vessel’s design and construction.
For unmanned platforms like the Saildrone Surveyor and Saildrone Voyager, the review goes far beyond the “steel.” ABS examined the Surveyor’s autonomous control systems, cybersecure communications, structural integrity, and fail-safe redundancies, ensuring the vehicle can safely operate without crew, even in complex, unpredictable ocean conditions.
The classification notation assigned is ✠A1, DV Naval Craft, AUTONOMOUS (NAV, MNV, PRP, AUX, RO3), which follows ABS’s “Rules for Building and Classing Light Warships, Patrol, and High-Speed Naval Vessels (2023).”
From Coastal to Blue Water
The ABS classification of the 10-meter Saildrone Voyager in 2023 was an industry milestone. Designed for persistent surveillance and monitoring in near-shore environments, the Voyager was the first USV of any kind to achieve class.
The 20-meter Surveyor is designed for months-long missions across the open ocean. It collects deep-ocean bathymetry and supports critical maritime domain awareness tasks such as anti-submarine warfare (ASW), trans-ocean cable route surveys, and persistent ISR. The Voyager, smaller and more agile, delivers complementary endurance and persistence in coastal waters.
Together, the two platforms create a scalable, autonomous fleet—remotely monitored 24/7 by Saildrone’s global Mission Management team and capable of operating without any crew onboard.
A Signal for the Industry
Earning ABS class for the Surveyor is not just a Saildrone achievement—it’s an inflection point for the entire maritime industry.
“ABS and Saildrone are pioneering new frontiers, setting the pace for innovation. This step forward is a result of our investments in ABS’s technical capability and helping to ensure our Rules are able to support innovation with an unwavering focus on safety,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.
Full ABS classification provides a level of assurance that expands the opportunities for deploying USVs at scale, accelerating the adoption of autonomy across defense, commercial, and research missions. It builds confidence among governments, regulators, and industry stakeholders that uncrewed systems are not experimental—they’re operational, proven, and built to last.
Looking Ahead
The classification of the Saildrone Surveyor is the culmination of years of engineering investment, collaboration with ABS, and thousands of operational miles at sea. More importantly, it is a glimpse into the future of maritime operations, where autonomous systems expand human reach, reduce risk, and provide the persistent presence and intelligence required in an increasingly complex ocean environment.
Saildrone USVs are currently supporting missions around the world, including maritime domain awareness/persistent ISR, ocean mapping, border security, and critical infrastructure security. With both its Surveyor and Voyager platforms fully classed by ABS, Saildrone is uniquely positioned to support the next generation of naval and commercial unmanned operations.
