Saildrone Unveils Spectre Class Unmanned Vessel for Anti-Submarine Warfare

Saildrone, a maritime defense company, announced a new class of unmanned surface vessels called Spectre on Monday. The vessels are designed for anti-submarine warfare operations and measure 54 meters in length with a displacement of 250 metric tons.

They can reach speeds up to 30 knots, which the company described as its most capable platform. It utilizes a wing system for endurance and silent propulsion in ASW roles. The company presented two versions, one with a wing and one without, at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition.

Richard Jenkins, Saildrone's founder and CEO, stated that the wing is suitable for long-endurance missions but other roles need more stealth and speed without it. He noted this is the first time the company is offering a vessel without a wing.

“While the Saildrone wing is very good for very long endurance, we do appreciate what other roles require more stealth, more speed, and don’t have a mission requirement for that exceptional endurance without the wing," Jenkins told reporters on Monday. Saildrone is partnering with Lockheed Martin for mission integration and autonomy support. Paul Lemmo, vice president and general manager at Lockheed Martin, described the vessel as a cost-effective option to deploy more assets. The design has received approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping, complying with High Speed Naval Craft certification.”

The company reported that two years of design and testing have fully de-risked the vessel's design and performance. Construction will begin soon at shipyards in Wisconsin operated by Fincantieri, which can produce up to five vessels per year. Sea trials for the first vessel are planned for early 2027. The partnership and design focus on enhancing naval capabilities in anti-submarine operations.