Saildrone's 170-Foot 'Spectre' Drone Ship Enters Navy's Unmanned Vessel Competition

Defense newcomer Saildrone has unveiled a 170-foot unmanned surface vessel called Spectre, teaming up with Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri to compete for the Navy's Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program. The Spectre can travel at nearly 35 miles per hour and is optimized for anti-submarine warfare but its modular payload design means it can be configured for a wide range of missions from surveillance to strike operations.

What Is the Spectre?

Spectre is Saildrone's answer to the Navy's ongoing push for autonomous naval platforms. The 170-foot vessel comes in two variants: the Silent Endurance which uses a distinctive sail wing for extended loitering and sub-hunting; and the Stealth Strike, a faster all-propulsion variant designed for high-speed operations. Both variants share a modular payload system that can accommodate two 40-foot containers, five 20-foot containers, or a mix of both giving the Navy flexibility depending on mission requirements.

Missile Capability and Payload Options

The Spectre can be equipped with optional Lockheed Mk 70 vertical launching system (VLS) containers, capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles or SM-6 air defense and surface strike missiles. Alternative payloads include twin-line towed sonar arrays such as the TB-29 for anti-submarine missions, and Lockheed's Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) Quad Launcher. The vessel was unveiled Monday at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition near Washington, D.C.

Where Saildrone Fits in the Navy's USV Strategy

The Navy has been working with Saildrone's smaller platforms since 2021. The 33-foot Voyager has been the workhorse for Task Group 59, focused on testing unmanned capabilities in the Middle East, while solar-powered Explorers have supported Operation Windward Stack in the Caribbean and Central and South America, assisting with counter-drug trafficking and illegal fishing interdiction. The Spectre represents a significant step up in size and capability from those earlier platforms.

Industry Impact

The MUSV competition formally launched last month, and Saildrone says Spectre meets 100% of the program's specifications. "We didn't fit to that. We didn't change our course," Saildrone founder and CEO Richard Jenkins said. "Now it's changed, MUSV it actually fits perfectly." The collaboration with established defense primes Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri gives the startup credibility in a competition traditionally dominated by larger contractors.

Source: The War Zone