Home · World · Sep 10 archive
Video: Saildrone Surveyor USV Fires Lockheed Martin JAGM during RIMPAC
Confirmed
In Short: Saildrone and Lockheed Martin demonstrated a live-fire exercise during RIMPAC, launching Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) from a Saildrone Surveyor USV.
During the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, Saildrone and Lockheed Martin successfully conducted a live-fire demonstration, launching Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) from a Saildrone Surveyor unmanned surface vessel (USV). This marks the first missile launch from a Saildrone platform, expanding its capabilities beyond traditional roles.
The demonstration, which took place off the coast of Hawaii, involved the Surveyor acting on targeting data associated with a surrogate high-speed surface craft. According to Saildrone founder and CEO Richard Jenkins, '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.
Lockheed Martin and Saildrone have been working together under a strategic partnership established in October 2025. The live-fire exercise, conducted under the sponsorship of the US Navy Fleet Experimentation Program (FLEX), highlights the potential of combining commercially derived USV technology with combat-ready effectors. Paul Lemmo, Vice President and General Manager of Sensors, Effectors, and Mission Systems at Lockheed Martin, stated, 'Lockheed Martin and Saildrone are leading the way to act differently and leverage the strength of all of industry for our national defense.
Future mission packages for Saildrone's upcoming 52-meter (170-ft.) Saildrone Spectre are expected to include Lockheed Martin's Mk 70 containerized launcher and towed-array systems supporting anti-submarine warfare. The Surveyor is designed as a long-endurance, multi-mission USV for persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, deep-ocean mapping, and distributed maritime operations.
What's confirmed
- “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 Saildrone founder and CEO Richard Jenkins.
- During RIMPAC, the Surveyor also carried a passive electronic warfare sensor that detected, classified and identified a surrogate threat radar in coordination with an MH-60 helicopter.
- A Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Ground Missile is fired from a Saildrone Surveyor USV during the US Navy’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise.
What's still developing
- Saildrone plans to integrate more sophisticated weapons aboard its upcoming 52-meter (170-ft.) Saildrone Spectre, the company's largest USV.
- Check out our recent interview with Robert Kleist, Managing Director of Saildrone Denmark, during DALO Industry Days 2026: Naval News brings you news coverage of the latest naval defense shows & events.
- In coordination with the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT(CVN-71) Carrier Strike Group-9 and enabled by the Navy’s ARES (Adjunct Remote Engagement System)—a remotely operated combat system—the Saildrone Surveyor demonstrated its interoperability by acting on target data for a surrogate high-speed surface craft.
- These integrations serve as a powerful example of the ability to rapidly combine Saildrone’s commercially proven USV technology with Lockheed Martin’s combat-ready effectors to address the evolving requirements of the US military.