Saildrone
Coverage of Saildrone in the Nexus archive.
- US Navy, Saildrone to use unmanned systems in expanded counternarcotics role
The US Navy awarded Saildrone a $16.3 million task order to expand operations of its Voyager unmanned surface vehicles in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific for counternarcotics missions. The USVs have supported drug interdiction efforts since 2023, including a recent seizure of $81 million in cocaine. The Trump administration's counternarcotics strategy includes military strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels, with 66 strikes reported as of June 22.
- Navy renews Saildrone’s counter-drug mission in the Caribbean, Eastern Pacific
The Navy has renewed Saildrone’s counter-drug mission in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, extending the operation of Voyager USVs in these regions.
- 2 defense tech companies sue US Navy after losing out on MUSV program
Blue Water Autonomy and Saildrone sued the U.S. Navy after being excluded from the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program, alleging the Navy violated its own requirements and used flawed evaluation criteria. The Navy selected seven other companies for at-sea testing, including Sea Machines and Leidos, while Blue Water Autonomy claimed it was unfairly barred from the competition despite prior participation in a related program.
- Coast Guard, Saildrone team up in northern waters to boost border security, surveillance
The Coast Guard and Saildrone are collaborating in northern waters to enhance border security and surveillance. The Voyager, a Saildrone unit, is designed for persistent coastal surveillance and nearshore mapping missions, remaining at sea for approximately 100 days.