Saildrone, the world leader and most experienced operator of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), recently released the design of the Saildrone Spectre, the culmination of two years of intense design work, leveraging over 10 years of operational USV experience.
At 52m (170 feet) long, weighing 250 tonnes, and capable of up to 30 knots, Spectre is the largest, fastest, and most capable Saildrone platform to date.
Spectre is optimized for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations, a mission set that demands extreme endurance and an ultra-quiet acoustic signature. Spectre achieves this by leveraging the proven endurance, reliability, and silent propulsion of the Saildrone wing system.
Diligently evolved
“Specter is not a craft hurriedly readied to meet a particular proposal but diligently evolved over multiple years to meet the operational requirements of our customers and fill critical capability gaps in the ASW domain,” asserted Richard Jenkins, Founder-CEO, Saildrone.
“Specter’s endurance, payload flexibility, and seamless integration with advanced missile and sonar systems will give the US Navy a persistent, low observable USV that can deliver on a spectrum of maritime missions,” observed Paul Lemmo, Vice President and General Manager, Sensors, Effectors, and Mission Systems, Lockheed Martin.
“Sail drone’s decades of operating unmanned surface vessels, combined with Specter’s unique features as a multi-mission platform, represent an ideal case on which to apply. We are excited to join this formidable team and swiftly deliver these capabilities to the warfighter,” commented Fincantieri Marine Group CEO George Moutafis, CEO, Fincantieri Marine Group.
