# Saildrone USV (Explorer / Voyager / Surveyor): robot model

Canonical ID: `385b5e9b-4631-4e27-8b28-23993f6c0cf9`

- **Slug:** saildrone-usv
- **Form factor:** maritime
- **Maturity stage:** commercial
- **Lifecycle:** active
- **Deployments registered:** 0

## Specs

- **notes:** [object Object],[object Object],[object Object]
- **specs:** Wind+solar USV classes: Explorer (7m, ocean data), Voyager (10m, coastal defense/mapping), Surveyor (20m, bathymetric + Lockheed JAGM integration). Spectre (announced 2026): 52m diesel-electric hybrid, ~27 kn, ~3,280 nm range, ~$40M/unit (Fincantieri-built, 2027 delivery) - a departure from the wind/solar identity. Captive mission-operation / data-as-a-service (owns + operates the fleet, sells data/outcomes; does NOT sell vessels).
- **formFactor:** maritime (autonomous SURFACE vessel / USV; wind+solar long-endurance ocean autonomy)

## Deployments

_No deployments registered for this model._

## Supply chain

_No verified supply relationships on file. Supply-chain coverage is being added across the registry; check back as the seed populates this model's suppliers._

_Suppliers appear when verified with at least two strong sources. Sources are append-only; corrections add new sources rather than rewrite history._

## Common questions

### What is Saildrone USV (Explorer / Voyager / Surveyor)?

Saildrone (founded 2012 in Alameda, California by Richard Jenkins, with retired three-star admiral John Mustin as president) is the canonical commercial autonomous surface vessel company, operating wind- and solar-powered uncrewed surface vehicles for ocean data collection, mapping, and maritime domain awareness. Its line spans the 7-meter Explorer, the 10-meter Voyager, and the 20-meter Surveyor, with a new 52-meter diesel-electric hybrid Spectre announced in 2026 for delivery in 2027 that departs from the wind-and-solar identity. It runs a captive mission-operation model, owning and operating the fleet and selling data and outcomes rather than vessels, with customers including NOAA, the US Navy's 4th Fleet for counter-narcotics and illegal-fishing work, and Denmark's EIFO, and funding including a $100 million Series C, a $60 million EIFO round in May 2025, and a $50 million Lockheed Martin strategic investment in October 2025. The registry records it at commercial maturity, the most mature commercial surface-autonomy player, on twelve-plus years of operation, 130-plus vehicles, and recurring contracts. A significant cap-flag applies to its cumulative-scale figures, which are inconsistent across its own channels: an October 2023 primary milestone of 1,042,620 nautical miles, 32,438 days at sea, and 136 vehicles is the defensible verified anchor, while its homepage now claims more than 2 million nautical miles and a separate 2026 figure cites 2.5 million miles, both with the day-count frozen at 60,000, so the 2-to-2.5-million-mile claims are treated as not verified. The strongest discrete verified scale is its Navy 4th Fleet operation of about 130,000 nautical miles over roughly 2,700 mission-days. Its autonomy is genuine, though the degree of human supervision during missions is undisclosed.

### Who makes Saildrone USV (Explorer / Voyager / Surveyor)?

Saildrone USV (Explorer / Voyager / Surveyor) is made by Saildrone, based in Alameda, California, USA, founded in 2012.

### Where is Saildrone USV (Explorer / Voyager / Surveyor) deployed?

No verified deployments of Saildrone USV (Explorer / Voyager / Surveyor) are currently on the DEPLOY registry. DEPLOY records deployments only when verified at a named site with a primary source; absence may reflect pre-deployment, research, or manufacturer-internal use.

### What is Saildrone USV (Explorer / Voyager / Surveyor)'s maturity stage?

Saildrone USV (Explorer / Voyager / Surveyor) is at the commercial stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Commercial stage means production-grade deployments are operating at named customer sites.


## Sources (4)

1. https://www.saildrone.com/news/saildrone-surpasses-one-million-nautical-miles
2. https://breakingdefense.com/2025/10/lockheed-martin-invests-50m-in-saildrone/
3. https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/sea-air-space-2026/saildrone-spectre/
4. https://www.saildrone.com/missions/maritime-security

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