Debarshi Mandal from Lockheed Martin and John Mustin from Saildrone discuss the partnership between the two companies to equip Saildrone USVs with Lockheed Martin weapons systems. Video recorded at the 2026 Surface Navy Association’s national symposium.
Saildrone and Lockheed Martin have partnered to field lethal capabilities at the pace and scale the U.S. Navy demands. The first tangible step in this partnership will be to equip the 20-meter Surveyor with Lockheed Martin’s proven and prolific JAGM launcher.
Surveyor is a high-endurance, extreme-range USV that provides persistent maritime ISR and deep-ocean mapping capabilities, designed to operate autonomously anywhere in the world for months at a time with minimal human intervention or oversight. Equipped with sensors, radars, and communications equipment, the Surveyor detects, tracks, classifies, and relays near-real-time intelligence into a common operating picture, accelerating operational decision-making.
In addition to equipping Surveyor with the JAGM Launcher and other payloads, Lockheed Martin’s $50 million investment in Saildrone will integrate command and control enhancements, enabling Saildrone to conduct fleet defense, signals intelligence, reconnaissance, and strike missions. This combination of best-in-class commercial and defense technologies will support the US Navy in realizing its vision for a manned–unmanned hybrid fleet.
Proof-of-concept integrations and a live-fire demonstration are scheduled for summer 2026. Additionally, larger Saildrone USVs are being developed to support a wider range of Lockheed Martin payloads, including the Mk 70 VLS launcher.
