Saildrone and Lockheed Martin Advance Autonomous Naval Warfare with RIMPAC Demonstration

Extending the carrier strike group’s missile magazine has been the most coveted mission set put forward for unmanned surface vehicles since modern militaries began embracing the role of autonomous systems in warfare. Long-range, autonomous platforms provide the enduring presence commanders require to project power in contested environments.

But the challenges run deep. Truly autonomous maritime systems require multiple levels of engineering redundancy and the capability to adapt to changes at sea that cannot always be predicted while ashore. The integration between platform and effector must be seamless to ensure that every step of the kill chain—from initial detection to missile launch—is successful.

Marking a significant advancement in autonomous naval warfare, Saildrone—the global leader in unmanned surface vehicle (USV) technology—executed two Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) launches from a Saildrone Surveyor USV during the US Navy's Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. This operation, conducted off the coast of Hawaii under the sponsorship of the US Navy Fleet Experimentation Program (FLEX), represents the first-ever missile launch from a Saildrone USV.

Saildrone and Lockheed Martin worked together to integrate Saildrone's commercially proven USV technology with Lockheed Martin's Joint-Air-to-Ground missile launch capability.

In coordination with the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71) Carrier Strike Group and enabled by the Navy’s ARES (Adjunct Remote Engagement System)—a remotely operated combat system—the Saildrone Surveyor demonstrated its interoperability by acting on target data for a surrogate high-speed surface craft. 

“This successful live-fire demonstration was the result of pairing one of the most tried and trusted munitions with the most operationally deployed class of USV on the planet,” said Richard Jenkins, Saildrone founder and CEO. “Not only does this deliver mission-ready, kinetic USV capability today, but it also de-risks and accelerates our journey of fitting more sophisticated kinetic capabilities, like the Mk70 launcher, to our larger platform, the Saildrone Spectre. Saildrone will continue to develop our platform capabilities to meet the rapidly evolving operational requirements of our customers.”

Rapidly expanding the fleet’s magazines

This live-fire demonstration is the culmination of six months of joint development between Saildrone and Lockheed Martin, which originated from a strategic partnership established in October 2025. The RIMPAC exercise further highlighted the Surveyor’s versatility by deploying a passive electronic warfare sensor that successfully detected, classified, and identified a surrogate threat radar system in conjunction with an MH-60 aircraft.

These integrations serve as a powerful example of the ability to rapidly combine Saildrone’s commercially proven USV technology with Lockheed Martin’s combat-ready effectors to address the evolving requirements of the US military.

“Lockheed Martin and Saildrone are leading the way to act differently and leverage the strength of the entire industry for our national defense. We will continue to invest in new capabilities ahead of need to accelerate and de-risk deployment of urgently needed defense technologies,” said Paul Lemmo, Vice President and General Manager, Sensors, Effectors and Mission Systems at Lockheed Martin.

Scaling up to Saildrone Spectre

This demonstration is the first of a series of planned integrations ahead of the launch of Saildrone’s largest and most advanced USV—the Saildrone Spectre. Measuring 52 meters (170 feet), the Spectre is designed to accommodate much larger, containerized mission sets and payloads. Future capabilities for this platform include the integration of the Lockheed Martin Mk 70 launcher and various towed arrays designed to support anti-submarine warfare operations.

Spectre, the first of which is under construction, will weigh around 300 tonnes with full payload, and capable of  speeds of up to 30 knots. The USV features a concealed payload deck that accommodates up to five 20-foot containers or two 40-foot containers, making it well-suited to carry any number of the combat-tested effectors produced by Lockheed Martin, thereby satisfying a wide range of mission sets and operational requirements. Spectre’s two variants, with or without the patented Saildrone Wing, offer optionality between near-silent transits for acoustically sensitive missions or a low profile for high-speed kinetic strikes.

The Saildrone Surveyor is a multi-mission USV designed for global missions including persistent maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), deep-ocean mapping for undersea advantage, and distributed, long-endurance power projection.

The 20-meter (66-foot) Surveyor USV can operate autonomously in the world’s harshest environments, remaining on mission and on station for months at a time. The Saildrone Surveyor utilizes radar, EO/IR, ML-based detection, passive acoustics, and AIS to maintain continuous situational awareness alongside the newly integrated JAGM dual launcher.

The JAGM launch during RIMPAC proves the ability of Saildrone and Lockheed Martin to rapidly integrate operationally proven USVs with combat-tested payloads necessary to provide long-dwell, extreme endurance kinetic assets equipped for anti-surface warfare and C-UAS mission sets.  This live-fire demonstration transforms autonomous naval firepower from a future concept into a tangible, operational reality.

The Saildrone Surveyor and larger Spectre will deliver the endurance, payload flexibility, and seamless integration required to maintain a decisive edge where persistence matters most.