The age of sail is returning to the world’s oceans, except this time the vessels don’t carry any sailors, use artificial intelligence to track ships and can even launch missiles.
California-based Saildrone manufactures autonomous ships that combine centuries-old wind propulsion with advanced military surveillance technology, allowing them to patrol the oceans for months without crews, according to the company. The company is expanding its European manufacturing operations into Norway, where Norwegian shipbuilder Umoe Mandal will manufacture its 65-foot Surveyor surveillance vessels, Defense News reported Wednesday.
Unlike conventional sailing ships, Saildrone vessels use rigid, aircraft-like wings instead of fabric sails, harnessing wind to propel themselves across the ocean while computer systems control their navigation, according to Saildrone.
“Saildrone USVs combine long endurance, advanced sensors, autonomous capabilities, and human oversight to provide continuous maritime surveillance at a fraction of the cost and risk of traditional crewed vessels,” the company told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We currently have approximately 75 USVs on mission across the Caribbean, Pacific, Atlantic, Southern Ocean, Baltic Sea, and Middle East, supporting a range of defense, ocean mapping, and scientific missions.”
The technology allows relatively small vessels to conduct extended maritime operations without requiring onboard sailors, food supplies or traditional crew accommodations, according to the company’s technical specifications.
Saildrone has developed four classes of autonomous vessels, ranging from the 23-foot Explorer to the 65-foot Surveyor and the massive 170-foot Spectre, its largest model, which remains under development, according to the company’s product lineup.
The smallest model, Explorer, relies primarily on wind propulsion and can remain at sea for more than 12 months, traveling at average speeds of one to three knots, according to Saildrone.
Its larger Voyager and Surveyor models incorporate electric and diesel propulsion, respectively, supplemented by wind power. Both are designed to operate for approximately 100 days between servicing stops, according to the company’s specifications.
The vessels carry radar, infrared cameras, satellite communication equipment and artificial intelligence systems capable of detecting and identifying ships, including vessels attempting to avoid conventional tracking systems, according to Saildrone.
These capabilities allow military commanders to monitor shipping lanes, track suspicious vessels and gather intelligence without continuously deploying expensive crewed warships, according to the company.
The U.S. Navy deployed 10 Saildrone Voyagers in the Caribbean in September 2023 as part of Operation Windward Stack, which tested the integration of autonomous systems into naval operations, according to the Navy.
The technology has since gained traction among European militaries seeking to monitor the increasingly contested Baltic Sea.
“We’re also expanding European production capacity through partnerships in Norway, the Netherlands, and Poland to support growing regional demand and strengthen NATO’s maritime industrial base,” Saildrone told the DCNF. “Today at Euronaval, we announced a production agreement with Umoe Mandal in Norway for the next-generation Saildrone Surveyor.”
Sweden contracted four Saildrone Voyagers for a yearlong maritime surveillance mission in October, totaling 1,440 vessel-days of operations, according to a Saildrone announcement.
Denmark previously completed a six-month deployment involving four Voyagers, during which the vessels detected more than 170,000 unique maritime contacts, according to the company’s August announcement.
However, Saildrone is increasingly moving beyond traditional reconnaissance.
The company successfully launched two Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles from a Surveyor during the U.S. Navy’s Rim of the Pacific exercise in August 2026, demonstrating that its autonomous vessels can carry offensive weapons, according to Saildrone.
The missiles were launched using the Navy’s remotely operated Adjunct Remote Engagement System, representing a weapons demonstration rather than an independently authorized autonomous attack, according to the same announcement.
The company is also developing the 170-foot Spectre, an unmanned warship designed for anti-submarine operations, intelligence gathering and potentially more sophisticated missile systems, according to Saildrone.
Saildrone’s capabilities extend beyond warfare.
One of its 23-foot vessels completed a 196-day circumnavigation of Antarctica in 2019, traveling nearly 12,000 nautical miles while collecting scientific data and enduring waves reaching approximately 50 feet, according to Saildrone.
Another sailed into Category 4 Hurricane Sam in 2021, gathering measurements from conditions too dangerous for traditional crewed research vessels, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The technology itself originated in experiments with wind-powered land vehicles, culminating in a 126-mph speed record in 2009 before being adapted for autonomous ocean travel by Saildrone founder Richard Jenkins, according to the company.
What began as an experiment in harnessing the wind has since evolved into a growing fleet of autonomous vessels capable of conducting scientific research, monitoring contested waterways and supporting modern naval warfare, according to Saildrone.
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