First Surveyor USV Launched at Austal USA

The first Saildrone aluminum Surveyor USV has been completed, carrying the latest multibeam sonar equipment and purpose-built defense and security payloads By Abi Wylie / 08 Mar 2024

Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV)

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
First Surveyor USV Launched at Austal USA
Follow DA

Saildrone has launched the first aluminum Surveyor unmanned surface vehicle (USV) off the Austal USA production line in Mobile, AL.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Lisa Franchetti was on site Monday to inspect the vehicle, ahead of these new USVs being tested under contract to the US Navy.

Primarily designed for ocean mapping and maritime domain awareness, the Saildrone Surveyor USV is powered by wind, solar, and a diesel generator for long-range, long-endurance missions in the open ocean.

The Surveyor carries the latest multibeam sonar equipment for seafloor mapping to depths of 11,000 meters (36,000 feet) and purpose-built defense and security payloads for accurate, dynamic, and confident decisions and responses to the full spectrum of maritime threats and challenges.

Upcoming Navy missions will focus on the ability of the Surveyor to deliver both surface and undersea intelligence for a range of high-priority applications, including anti-submarine warfare (ASW).

To meet the increasing demand for Surveyor USVs, Saildrone partnered with Austal USA to leverage their advanced manufacturing production techniques and rapid assembly capabilities. Austal is currently producing one Surveyor every six weeks, with the ability to scale up production as demand requires.

At 20 meters long (65 feet) and weighing 15 tons, the Surveyor classifies as a medium USV, built to American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Light Warship code. These first Surveyors are contracted to the US Navy for the initial testing and evaluation of Surveyor-class vehicles in multiple environments.

Franchetti was joined on the tour by Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps (ACMC) Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Jerry Carl (R-AL).

Saildrone founder and CEO Richard Jenkins said; “It is tremendous to see the first vehicle launched of many that will be produced here in Alabama. 

“We are honored to have Admiral Franchetti here in person to witness the start of the creation of a new fleet of USVs alongside traditional manned ships. Everyone at Saildrone is very proud to be supporting the US Navy and contributing to our defense and national security.”

Franchetti commented; “Using unmanned assets helps put more players on the field by freeing up manned assets for more specific and important tasks. It’s good to see high tech industry partnering with the traditional shipbuilding industrial base to rapidly deliver cutting-edge products at scale.”

Posted by Abi Wylie Edited by Abigail Wylie, Editor and Copywriter experienced in digital media with a keen interest in ocean science technology. Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

AI-Powered Mission Planning & Target Recognition Software Selected for Long-Range Loitering Munitions

Teledyne FLIR OEM's Prism Supervisor and Prism SKR software is being integrated into Dragoon Technology's UAS under the DIU's Project Artemis

May 22, 2025
GA-ASI Begins Ground Testing of Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft

GA-ASI has begun ground testing of its YFQ-42A uncrewed jet for the U.S. Air Force’s CCA program, targeting a summer 2025 first flight as part of next-generation combat aviation efforts

May 22, 2025
Support Equipment Solutions for Military Aviation & Aerospace

Defense Advancement showcases WilliamsRDM's support equipment design and manufacturing for military aviation and aerospace programs

May 22, 2025
New Hybrid Solution for Long-Term GNSS-Denied Navigation

Advanced Navigation has demonstrated a major breakthrough with a Hybrid Navigation System designed for GPS-denied environments, combining a strategic-grade FOG INS with a laser velocity sensor

May 21, 2025
New muLTElink Features Improve Command & Control for UAS

uAvionix’s latest muLTElink software update enhances UAS connectivity with automated link management, improving resilience, reliability, and cost-efficiency in complex operations

May 21, 2025
Honeywell Unveils Resilient INS with Anti-Jamming Technology

Honeywell has launched its new HGuide o480 INS, delivering precise, resilient navigation with anti-jamming technology for compact unmanned systems operating in GPS-denied or contested environments

May 21, 2025

Featured Content

New Line of Kinetic-Capable Unmanned Surface Vessels Introduced

Red Cat Holdings enters the maritime autonomy market with a new line of combat-proven USVs, expanding its multi-domain unmanned systems for naval operations

May 20, 2025
Next-Gen Group 2 UAS Enters Production with Extended Endurance & Upgrades

Aurora Flight Sciences upgrades the SKIRON-X Group 2 UAS with greater versatility and tactical mission endurance, as well as announcing the hydrogen-powered SKIRON-XLE variant

May 13, 2025
Discover ANELLO’s SiPhOG™ for GNSS-Denied Navigation at XPO25

CEO of ANELLO Photonics, Dr. Mario Paniccia, will present at Xponential 2025 on the company's SiPhOG-based inertial navigation technology in GPS-denied and GNSS-contested environments.

May 09, 2025
Advancing Defense Capability Through Strategic Collaboration Defense Advancement works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive defense capabilities forward.