Tomahawk missiles planned aboard sea drones in latest Lockheed deal
The Pentagon is investing $50 million to arm Saildrone’s largest autonomous vessels with Lockheed Martin’s missile systems to counter China’s naval power in the Pacific.
- On Wednesday, the Pentagon-backed plan announced Lockheed Martin will invest $50 million to arm Saildrone's largest USVs with missiles, planning live-fire demonstrations in 2026, the companies said.
- Since 2021, Saildrone has supported U.S. Navy surveillance, deployed 20 Voyager USVs, logged over 2,000,000 nautical miles, and shifted focus toward defense with senior military leaders onboard.
- Lockheed will serve as lead mission integrator while Saildrone maintains shipbuilding responsibilities, integrating Lockheed’s JAGM quad launcher onto the Surveyor platform, with plans for larger vehicles to carry Mk70 VLS and towed sonar arrays.
- Development work will create jobs at Austal USA and could scale to other U.S. shipyards, while Richard Jenkins called the shift transformational and Stephanie Hill said the capability is needed to maintain dominance over adversaries.
- $5,000,000,000 in appropriations has prompted the development of larger Saildrone vehicles in development, fitting the Navy hybrid fleet concept and integrating Lockheed Martin architecture for encrypted control.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Tomahawk Missiles Planned Aboard Sea Drones in Latest Lockheed Deal
Tomahawk missiles planned aboard sea drones in latest Lockheed deal
Lockheed Martin is investing $50 million in sea drone maker Saildrone to help equip its biggest surveillance drones with missiles, marking the first time the long-distance autonomous ships will carry high-powered missiles aboard.
Lockheed Martin Invests $50 Million in Saildrone to Arm Unmanned Surface Vessels
Lockheed Martin announced a $50 million investment in Saildrone to integrate lethal defense systems onto the company’s unmanned surface vessels, with plans for live fire demonstrations in 2026. The collaboration...
Lockheed Deal Will Give Sea Drones Tomahawk Strike Capability
Lockheed Martin is investing $50 million in Saildrone to equip its surveillance drones with missiles, marking the first time these autonomous ships will carry high-powered missiles. This plan follows the Pentagon’s efforts to counter China’s naval power and lessons from Ukraine’s use of sea drones against Russia. Saildrone’s 72-foot “Surveyor” ship will be modified to […] The post Lockheed Deal Will Give Sea Drones Tomahawk Strike Capability app…
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