Saildrone and Lockheed Martin launched two Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles from a Surveyor-class unmanned surface vessel during the U.S. Navy's RIMPAC 2026 exercise off Hawaii — the first missile launch ever conducted from a Saildrone platform1,2,4,7.
The companies announced the demonstration on August 20, approximately three weeks after RIMPAC 2026 concluded on July 315. The 20-meter (66-foot) Surveyor was fitted with a JAGM Dual Launcher and integrated with the U.S. Navy's Adjunct Remote Engagement System, a remotely operated combat system that kept a human operator in the firing loop. Acting on targeting data passed through ARES, the vessel engaged a surrogate high-speed surface craft in coordination with the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) Carrier Strike Group8.
The demonstration was conducted under the U.S. Navy Fleet Experimentation Program12. Lockheed Martin said the effort moved from concept to live fire in six months, following a strategic partnership the two companies announced in October 2025. That partnership included a $50 million Lockheed Martin investment in Saildrone to integrate defense systems onto the company's autonomous surface vehicles.
Beyond the missile launches, the team demonstrated a passive electronic warfare capability from the Surveyor during the same exercise. Working with an MH-60S helicopter, the vessel detected, classified, and identified a surrogate threat radar system.
The Surveyor maintained situational awareness through radar, electro-optical and infrared sensors, machine-learning-based detection, passive acoustics, and automatic identification systems9. The vessel is designed to operate autonomously in harsh environments and remain on station for months at a time.
Lockheed Martin described the RIMPAC test as the first of several planned demonstrations involving Saildrone platforms and U.S. Navy combat systems. Future integration work will move to Saildrone's larger Saildrone Spectre, a 52-meter (170-foot) vessel currently under construction3. The Saildrone Spectre is designed to weigh approximately 300 tonnes with full payload and reach speeds of up to 30 knots. Its concealed payload deck can accommodate up to five 20-foot containers or two 40-foot containers. Planned capabilities for the Saildrone Spectre include integration of the Mark 70 Mod 1 Payload Delivery System and SURTASS Towed Array for anti-submarine warfare operations.
Saildrone founder and CEO Richard Jenkins said the demonstration paired "one of the most tried and trusted munitions with the most operationally deployed class of USV on the planet"14. Paul Lemmo, Vice President and General Manager of Sensors, Effectors and Mission Systems at Lockheed Martin, said the company would continue investing in new capabilities ahead of need.
The October 2025 partnership made Lockheed Martin the lead mission integrator while Saildrone retained shipbuilding responsibilities. In January, the companies advanced the work with a JAGM quad launcher demonstration ahead of planned integration with the Surveyor.
ANALYSIS The RIMPAC demonstration marks a concrete transition for Saildrone's platforms from ocean-data collection and maritime surveillance into armed strike roles, compressing the timeline from commercial partnership to live ordnance in six months. The machine-learning-based detection and ARES integration place this squarely at the intersection of autonomous systems and AI-enabled naval operations — a domain where the sensor-to-shooter pipeline depends on software as much as hardware.