Lockheed Martin has announced a $50 million investment in Saildrone to integrate a modular JAGM Quad Launcher onto the Saildrone Surveyor unmanned surface vehicle, marking a notable step in arming large autonomous sea platforms. The two companies said integration work will take place at Austal USA with completion and a live on-water demonstration planned for the first quarter of 2026. The move represents the first time a Saildrone platform will carry an offensive missile payload, broadening the vessel’s mission set beyond scientific, commercial and intelligence-gathering roles. At 20 metres (65 feet) long and about 15 tonnes, the Surveyor is among the largest operational unmanned surface vehicles. It already combines radar, electro-optical sensors, automatic identification systems and machine-learning-driven autonomy to provide persistent maritime awareness with minimal human oversight. Lockheed Martin has been developing the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) as a modular follow-on to legacy air-launched precision weapons. The Quad Launcher is a canisterised, four-missile module intended to provide flexible deployment options across multiple platforms. The planned sea-launched test aboard the Saildrone Surveyor will be the first time JAGM is fired from an unmanned surface vessel, according to company statements. Companies said the project leverages an open-architecture command-and-control framework and secure communications to retain human-in-the-loop decision authority for lethal engagements, while enabling rapid integration of sensors and effectors. Proponents argue arming USVs expands deterrence options, offering persistent presence, distributed strike capability and lower risk to crewed platforms. Critics caution that weaponising large autonomous vessels raises legal, ethical and command-and-control questions that will require policy and doctrine work alongside technical testing. Saildrone, founded for oceanographic and maritime monitoring missions, has demonstrated exceptional endurance using wind, solar and wave energy and has performed long-duration transits from the Antarctic to the Arctic. The company has worked with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy Task Force 59 on demonstrations and has positioned the Surveyor as a versatile, long-range node for maritime domain awareness. Lockheed Martin and Saildrone said the integration supports the U.S. Navy’s wider exploration of unmanned platforms for fleet defence, undersea surveillance, reconnaissance and strike operations. The collaboration aims to show that a large, uncrewed surface asset can be made into an effective component of layered maritime force structures, subject to rigorous safety, command and legal safeguards during subsequent trials.
