Overview
- Work begins immediately to integrate Lockheed Martin’s JAGM Quad Launcher onto the Saildrone Surveyor using an open architecture and secure command-and-control approach.
- The companies are developing larger Saildrone platforms to carry substantially bigger payloads, including the Mk70 vertical launch system for Tomahawk-class weapons and thin-line towed sonar arrays.
- On-water live-fire demonstrations are slated for 2026, with construction of a larger vessel scheduled to start at Austal USA in early 2026, according to the companies.
- Saildrone will retain shipbuilding responsibilities as Lockheed Martin serves as lead mission integrator, and the effort is expected to create jobs at Austal USA with potential scaling to other U.S. shipyards.
- The collaboration is currently independent research and development without a Pentagon contract, and it aligns with Navy interest in hybrid fleets and lessons drawn from countering China’s naval growth and Ukraine’s sea-drone operations.