Lockheed Martin and Saildrone have entered into a partnership backed by a $50 million Lockheed investment to fit the Saildrone Surveyor unmanned surface vehicle with a JAGM Quad Launcher, with integration work scheduled at Austal USA and a live sea trial planned for early 2026. The agreement represents a shift in the operational potential of Saildrone platforms, moving the Surveyor from persistent sensing and data collection into a platform capable of delivering precision fires. The Surveyor is a large, long-endurance USV — about 20 metres in length and roughly 15 tonnes — that uses renewable energy and onboard autonomy to conduct months-long missions. Its sensor suite includes radar, cameras and automatic identification systems, and it applies machine-learning tools to manage navigation and sensing tasks. Adding a canisterised, four-round JAGM launcher would enable the vessel to conduct strike missions in addition to surveillance and collection tasks. The Joint Air-to-Ground Missile, developed as a successor to legacy air-launched weapons, is being trialled in a modular quad configuration to enable deployment from varied platforms. A sea-launched JAGM test aboard an uncrewed vehicle would be a first for the missile family and for Saildrone, and would test integration of fire-control, targeting, and secure remote command links under realistic maritime conditions. Officials said the project will use an open-architecture command-and-control stack to integrate sensor inputs and permit authorized operators to make engagement decisions. Advocates highlight that arming USVs can augment fleet defence by increasing distributed sensing and strike capacity without placing sailors directly at risk, while critics urge caution over escalation risks and the need for robust rules of engagement and fail-safe controls. Saildrone has built a track record in long-endurance ocean operations — from Antarctic circumnavigations to extended Arctic deployments — and has supported maritime agencies and naval experimentation since 2020. Lockheed Martin described the investment as part of a broader effort to mature unmanned maritime systems into operational tools that can support undersea surveillance, tasking of allied assets and, where authorized, precision strike. The companies plan to proceed to integration immediately and to demonstrate the combined capability in a controlled, sea-based test next year.
