Lockheed Martin has announced a $50 million strategic investment in Saildrone to integrate its JAGM Quad Launcher onto the Saildrone Surveyor unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The integration effort, to be completed at Austal USA by the first quarter of 2026, will culminate in a live on-water demonstration, showcasing a new class of armed autonomous vessels.
This marks a significant milestone for Saildrone, as it represents the first time a Saildrone platform will carry an offensive weapon system, expanding its operational role beyond environmental monitoring and surveillance to include defensive and strike missions. The 20-meter-long, 15-ton Surveyor, recognized as the world’s largest operational USV, integrates radar, electro-optical sensors, and advanced machine learning for global maritime situational awareness.
The project will also include the first sea-launched test of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), originally developed as a next-generation replacement for the AGM-114 Hellfire. Lockheed Martin recently demonstrated its modular JAGM Quad Launcher, designed for deployment on various manned and unmanned platforms. The effort aligns with the US Navy’s vision of creating multi-mission USVs capable of fleet defense, reconnaissance, and strike operations under a secure, open-architecture framework.
Launched in 2013, Saildrone’s fleet has achieved record-breaking missions powered by wind, solar, and wave energy, including Antarctic circumnavigation, Arctic patrols, and year-long autonomous deployments. Having partnered with the US Coast Guard (2020) and US Navy Task Force 59 (2021), Saildrone now aims to transition toward armed maritime autonomy—enhancing deterrence and extending naval reach amid rising global security threats.
