Explore Our Missions

Discover case studies describing the range of missions Saildrone vehicles have undertaken to deliver valuable maritime data security operations—from the Arctic to the Antarctic.

Operationalizing Saildrone to Counter Drug Trafficking and Illegal Fishing

12,500 sq nm

Total area covered

116,000

Unique contacts detected

$4.25

Cost per sq nm per day

The Navy brought unmanned systems to US Fourth Fleet to support long-term operations that counter drug trafficking and illegal fishing.

Mission Details

Revolutionizing Cable Route Surveys with USVs

Number of Surveyor USVs

4,500 km

Area covered

5,500 meters

Max depth surveyed

A landmark mission proving autonomous vehicles can match traditional survey performance while cutting costs, risks, and emissions in deep-ocean mapping.

Mission Details

Aleutians Uncrewed Ocean Exploration

13,112 sq nm

US EEZ seafloor mapped

1,000 m

Height of seamount discovered

4,000 nm

Round-trip transit to operation area

A long-term survey around the Aleutian Islands and off the coast of California to address ocean exploration gaps in remote areas with USVs.

Mission Details

Pioneering Uncrewed Seafloor Mapping Across a Remote Caribbean EEZ

90,000 sq km

of seafloor surveyed

~300

mission days of autonomous operations

900+

sound-velocity profile casts executed

Delivering a modern baseline bathymetric dataset to support navigation, marine stewardship, and the growth of the Cayman Islands’ Blue Economy.

Mission Details

Enhancing Border Monitoring with Persistent MDA

Number of vehicles

30,000

Number of detections

94%

Operational efficiency

Mission Details

Recent Missions

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Pioneering Uncrewed Seafloor Mapping Across a Remote Caribbean EEZ

This autonomous mission delivered a modern baseline bathymetric dataset to support navigation, marine stewardship, and the growth of the islands’ Blue Economy.

Details

Operationalizing Saildrone to Counter Drug Trafficking and Illegal Fishing

The Navy built on its success with Task Force 59 experimentation by bringing unmanned systems to US Fourth Fleet, to support long-term operations that counter drug trafficking and illegal fishing.

Details

Improving Hurricane Rapid Intensification Forecasting

The biggest challenge to hurricane forecasting is rapid intensification, which can have a huge impact if a storm intensifies just before landfall.

Details

Revolutionizing Cable Route Surveys with USVs

A landmark mission proving autonomous vehicles can match traditional survey performance while cutting costs, risks, and emissions in deep-ocean mapping.

Details

Integrating USVs & AI into an Operational Maritime Environment

The US Navy’s 5th Fleet and its regional partners created a network of unmanned systems, networks, and AI tools to detect abnormal maritime behaviors and cue manned ships to respond.

Details

Enhancing Border Monitoring with Persistent MDA

CBP and USCG evaluated Saildrone’s low-cost autonomous vehicles for persistent maritime domain awareness, demonstrating enhanced detection and tracking of small, panga-style vessels near the US-Mexico maritime border.

Details

Improving Prediction of El Niño Weather Events in the Pacific Ocean

An ongoing mission to test the Saildrone platform as part of the Tropical Pacific Observation System monitoring weather and climate in the Pacific Ocean.

Details

Studying the Impact of Sound on Fish Stock Assessments

Virtually silent Saildrone Explorers are being used to determine if noise from diesel-powered research vessels scatter fish, resulting in inaccurate stock counts.

Details

Mapping the Gulf of Maine to Identify Deep-sea Coral Habitat

The Gulf of Maine is one of the United States’ highest mapping priorities due to its significant commercial fisheries supported by diverse habitats.

Details

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Saildrone's autonomous vehicles provide cost-effective solutions for in situ data collection in remote ocean regions.

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