Lockheed Martin and Saildrone have demonstrated the launch of two rounds from a Surveyor-class Saildrone integrated with a Joint-Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) Dual Launcher and Adjunct Remote Engagement System (ARES) fire-control command-and-control system.
Conducted in coordination with the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) Carrier Strike Group and enabled by the U.S. Navy’s ARES remotely operated combat system, the demonstration showed the Saildrone Surveyor acting on target data against a surrogate high-speed surface craft. The team moved from concept to demonstration in six months in partnership with the U.S. Navy, demonstrating the ability to integrate established capabilities onto commercial uncrewed surface vessels.
During the multi-domain event, the team also demonstrated a passive electronic warfare capability from the Saildrone Surveyor. Working in conjunction with an MH-60S helicopter, the system successfully detected, classified and identified a surrogate threat radar system.
The live-fire demonstration took place near Hawaii under the sponsorship of the U.S. Navy Fleet Experimentation Program (FLEX) during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026, described as the world’s largest international naval exercise.
Expanding Combat Capabilities on Commercial USVs
Lockheed Martin partnered with Saildrone to integrate commercial uncrewed surface vessels with combat-proven defence technology. The companies said the demonstration is the first of several planned tests aboard Saildrone platforms integrated with Navy combat systems.
Future demonstrations are planned aboard the new Spectre-class platform, which is designed to support significantly larger containerised capabilities, including the Lockheed Martin Mk 70 launcher and SURTASS Towed Array.
Lockheed Martin and Saildrone said they are committed to working with the U.S. Navy and its allies to deliver established capabilities at speed to warfighters.
Saildrone USVs have been conducting maritime missions in remote ocean areas since 2013. The companies said their partnership will use Saildrone’s commercial experience to accelerate the deployment of new defence applications.
Lockheed Martin and Saildrone are also investing to accelerate and reduce the risks associated with deploying unmanned and autonomous naval technologies.
The demonstration focused on integrating existing capabilities with Saildrone USVs. The companies said this approach is intended to enable the rapid deployment of proven capabilities to warfighters.
The demonstration also paired the JAGM capability with a dual-mode seeker, identified in the source as SAL+MMW, for all-weather counter-UAS capability. The source states that JAGM has demonstrated consistent performance and high reliability across air, maritime and ground domains under real-world conditions.
“Lockheed Martin and Saildrone are leading the way to leverage the strength of industry to deliver autonomous platforms with containerized capabilities for our national defense. We will continue to invest in new capabilities ahead of need to accelerate and de-risk deployment of urgently needed defense technologies,” said Paul Lemmo, Vice President and General Manager, Sensors, Effectors and Mission Systems, Lockheed Martin.
“This successful live fire demonstration was the result of pairing one of the most tried and trusted munitions with the most operationally deployed class of USV on the planet,” said Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO of Saildrone. “Not only does this deliver mission-ready, kinetic USV capability today, but it also de-risks and accelerates our journey of fitting more sophisticated kinetic capabilities, like the Mk70 launcher, to our larger platform, the Saildrone Spectre. Saildrone will continue to develop our platform capabilities to meet the rapidly evolving operational requirements of our customers.”
