Defense firm Saildrone on Monday unveiled Spectre, a 170-foot unmanned surface vessel designed for anti-submarine warfare, long-range surveillance, and missile launch capabilities, as the company pushes deeper into the growing market for autonomous naval systems, Axios reported.
The vessel, introduced ahead of the Sea-Air-Space Conference in Maryland, is the result of more than a decade of operational experience in extreme environments, according to CEO Richard Jenkins.
"We did thousands of iterations to toughen our vehicles," Jenkins said, citing deployments in the Arctic, Antarctic, and severe ocean conditions.
Saildrone has spent the past two years developing Spectre and plans to submit it to the U.S. Navy's medium unmanned surface vessel program. Jenkins said the platform meets all baseline requirements without modification.
The aluminum vessel will be constructed by Fincantieri in Wisconsin, with capacity for up to five ships annually, while American Magic will build an optional 140-foot wing.
Saildrone is funding initial production internally, with sea trials planned for early next year. A scaled model has already undergone months of testing in Denmark.
The vessel features a hybrid hull design combining sail and powered propulsion elements, enabling long endurance and heavy payload capacity.
Saildrone said Spectre can travel about 3,280 nautical miles at speeds up to 25 knots while carrying roughly 55,000 pounds, with a maximum payload nearly 70 metric tons.
Its modular deck can support multiple mission configurations, including standard containerized systems. The platform is designed to integrate with technologies from Lockheed Martin and Thales, including sonar arrays and missile launch systems.
"Spectre represents a transformative step forward for naval surface warfare," Lockheed Vice President Paul Lemmo told Axios.
Lockheed Martin invested $50 million in Saildrone last year, highlighting increased industry focus on unmanned maritime capabilities.
Saildrone is also exploring European production, where demand is rising amid concerns over Russian submarine activity near critical energy infrastructure.
The launch of Spectre underscores the Pentagon's broader push toward autonomous systems as it seeks to expand naval reach while reducing risk to personnel.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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