Austal Launches Sail-Powered Drone Vessel for the U.S. Navy

Austal USA shipyard recently launched a sail-powered drone vessel to conduct long-range unmanned missions for the U.S. Navy.

In 2022, Austal and Saildrone Inc. announced a partnership to construct autonomous sail-powered survey vessels for ocean mapping and maritime domain awareness.

These vessels have solar panels and diesel generators to power the sensors, like the multibeam sonar, which can map the seafloor to a depth of 11,000 m.

The vessels for US Navy also have defence and security payloads, allowing for swift responses in the face of maritime threats.

Saildrone’s drone vessel is about 15 tonnes and is around 65 ft long. It has a low-profile hull and is topped by a rigid sail.

The vessel would assist future naval missions by delivering surface and underwater intelligence for several applications, such as anti-submarine warfare.

The Sail-Powered Drone Vessel can execute missions involving unregulated, unreported and illegal fishing, ensuring maritime safety, enforcing maritime law, SOLAS, border patrols, harbour security, etc.