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With more than 70% of Earth’s surface covered by ocean, illegal and nefarious actors routinely go unnoticed because a US or allied asset is not there to see them. Multi-mission naval assets—stretched thin between high-stakes operations and vast open-water patrols—struggle to balance wide-area surveillance with their critical duties. To optimize scarce, high-demand manned resources, sharpen strategic focus, and outpace adversaries, the US and its partners urgently need the technology of tomorrow—delivered today.
Enter Saildrone and Palantir, whose bold new strategic partnership is set to transform maritime security. By accelerating the deployment of autonomous systems, this collaboration unlocks advanced AI-driven maritime solutions at scale. In a world grappling with rising global threats and a shipbuilding industry pushed to its limits, this alliance signals a seismic shift in how we safeguard our seas.
Saildrone commands the world’s largest fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), delivering vital maritime domain awareness to the US Navy, Department of Homeland Security, and international allies. Powered by cutting-edge, proprietary AI and machine-learning algorithms running at the edge, these autonomous platforms tirelessly monitor activities above and below the waves—spotting narcotics trafficking, illegal fishing, and even adversary submarines with precision.
“As global threats continue to evolve, we’re seeing rapidly increasing demand for our maritime security solutions,” said Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO at Saildrone. “Leveraging Palantir’s sophisticated manufacturing and AI tools will allow us to streamline manufacturing and radically enhance fleet capabilities. While others make promises about tomorrow's technology, we face complex global threats today. This partnership with Palantir ensures we deliver solutions today that outpace tomorrow’s threats.”
Saildrone designs, builds, and operates its fleet, which numbers already over 150 USVs across three classes, from a waterside airplane hangar on the former Naval Air Station Alameda, opposite San Francisco. Austal USA builds the aluminum hulls for the 20-meter Surveyor class in Alabama, and composite boat builders in Mississippi and Washington support production of the 10-meter Voyager class. By tapping into a network of shipbuilding expertise and cutting-edge composites, Saildrone secures a production backbone as resilient as it is dynamic. Now, with Palantir’s state-of-the-art AI cloud infrastructure woven into its operations, Saildrone is poised to supercharge scalability across its entire mission.
Over the past decade of operations and nearly 2 million nautical miles sailed globally, Saildrone has amassed the world’s most comprehensive dataset of maritime intelligence at the sea surface. Palantir’s sophisticated AI will meld this unparalleled proprietary dataset with diverse external sources, unlocking transformative insights for maritime intelligence, surveillance, and precision targeting like never before.
“Saildrone is delivering the future of Maritime AI, and we are extremely proud to provide software that supports the sustained competitive advantage of their USVs,” said Emily Nguyen, Palantir’s Head of Industrials.
In an era where traditional naval assets are stretched thin, Saildrone delivers cost-effective, persistent autonomous surveillance—slashing operational expenses with a leaner, smarter footprint.
