Jane Edwards
Austal’s U.S. arm and Saildrone will develop autonomous unmanned surface vehicles under a strategic partnership.
Austal USA said Tuesday it will combine its advanced manufacturing capabilities with Saildrone’s unmanned surface vehicle technology through the partnership to provide the U.S. Navy and other government clients with platforms that could support hydrographic survey, maritime domain awareness and other missions that require persistent wide area coverage.
Under the partnership, Austal USA will use its experience in aluminum shipbuilding and start producing for the Navy the first Saildrone Surveyor vehicles in October in Mobile, Alabama,
Saildrone Surveyor is a 65-foot-long uncrewed vehicle designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions and deep ocean mapping applications.
“With our lean manufacturing techniques and serial production capabilities, Austal USA will provide large scale fabrication of these vehicles and with our partner Saildrone rapidly get the capability to the Fleet,” said Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh.
