Uncrewed surface vehicle collaboration announced by Lockheed Martin, Saildrone
NewsOctober 30, 2025
BETHESDA, Maryland. Lockheed Martin announced a $50 million investment in Saildrone to accelerate development of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) equipped with military payloads and command-and-control systems, the company announced in a statement.
The partnership aims to integrate Lockheed Martin’s defense technologies—including the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) Quad Launcher—onto Saildrone’s Surveyor platform, with live-fire demonstrations planned for 2026, the statement reads. The collaboration will employ an open-architecture approach to enable modular payload integration and secure communications for future missions.
According to the companies, the work is intended to support U.S. Navy objectives for uncrewed surface operations in areas such as fleet defense, undersea surveillance, and reconnaissance. Larger Saildrone variants under development may also accommodate Lockheed Martin’s Mk70 Vertical Launch System (VLS) and towed sensor arrays for anti-submarine warfare, the company says.
Saildrone will continue to handle shipbuilding responsibilities, while Lockheed Martin will act as lead mission integrator. The effort is expected to expand production at Austal USA and other U.S. shipyards as new platforms and payload integrations advance toward operational use.
