AIBRIEF
Lockheed Martin's $50M bet on uncrewed surface vessel maker Saildrone became a live fire test in six months. The missile type, the warhead, and the remote human operators are still undisclosed.
A small, wind- and solar-powered ship operated by a commercial firm fired a live missile under remote control during the US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise near Hawaii, working alongside the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, Lockheed Martin and Saildrone said on August 20.
The vessel, a Saildrone Surveyor, launched at a surrogate high-speed surface craft. The Navy's ARES remotely operated combat system let human operators run the launch from elsewhere. Concept to firing took six months.
That pace reflects money already on the table. Lockheed Martin put $50 million into Saildrone in November 2025, with the original scope covering electronic warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and surveillance, according to Electronics Weekly. The August 20 firing is the first live-fire result from that investment.
Lockheed Martin's Paul Lemmo called it a step toward a "hybrid fleet." Saildrone CEO Richard Jenkins called the munition "one of the most tried and trusted." Neither named the weapon. Specifics on missile type, warhead, and range are not in the public release. A surrogate target confirms launch and flight, not real-world lethality.
Saildrone's larger platform, Saildrone Spectre, is the planned future host for the Mk70 launcher. That program is still a roadmap, not a demonstrated capability.