Saildrone Will Extend Unmanned Surface Vehicle Operations in the Northeast

Saildrone today announced that the US Coast Guard awarded the company an $8.5 million extension of its contract to continue providing maritime domain awareness around domestic fisheries off the coast of New England through spring 2027.

The extension builds on Saildrone Voyager unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) already operating in the Northeast United States. From June through August, the fleet sailed more than 19,000 nautical miles and generated thousands of contact detections while monitoring fishing grounds across the region.

By combining radar, Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, and onboard cameras, Saildrone Voyagers can detect and track vessels and provide visual information about activity at sea. This data is delivered to Coast Guard operators to support maritime domain awareness and related Coast Guard missions.

“Operating in the North Atlantic presents unique and significant challenges for any platform,” said US Coast Guard (ret.) Capt. Charley Diaz, senior director for homeland security at Saildrone. “Saildrone USVs are designed to provide persistent monitoring that can complement Coast Guard assets and crews when conditions and mission requirements allow.”

Domestic fisheries in New England play a critical role in the region’s economy, supporting more than 289,000 jobs and generating over $24 billion in annual sales impacts across the commercial and recreational seafood supply chain, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Persistent domain awareness tools remain part of a broader approach to deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and support compliance.

The Saildrone Voyager is a 10-meter (33-foot) USV designed and purpose-built for persistent surface and subsurface maritime domain awareness. Each Saildrone Voyager can identify and track vessel activity and deliver near-real-time data directly to command centers ashore. High-accuracy onboard navigation and radar systems also provide precise position data on detected vessels. These capabilities are intended to assist human operators in monitoring areas of responsibility from shore and informing decisions on the deployment of manned assets.