The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Spring, Texas, has granted full classification to the Saildrone Surveyor, a 65'7" uncreweded surface vehicle (USV), making it the largest vessel of its kind to receive this designation.
Saildrone, Almeda, Calif., the company behind the Surveyor, previously received ABS classification for its smaller 32'10" Voyager USV in 2023. Both vessels are designed for fully autonomous operations and are monitored remotely around the clock by Saildrone’s global mission management team.
ABS classification involves a comprehensive review of a vessel’s design, construction, and operational capabilities. For uncrewed systems, this includes autonomous control systems, cyber-secure communications, structural integrity, and fail-safe redundancies.
The Surveyor has been assigned the classification notation ✠A1, DV Naval Craft, AUTONOMOUS (NAV, MNV, PRP, AUX, RO3), under ABS’s 2023 rules for light warships, patrol, and high-speed naval vessels.
According to Saildrone, no other USV or uncrewed underwater vehicle has yet achieved full class certification from a classification society. ABS’s approval marks the first such classification granted to an uncrewed surface vessel of this size and capability.
“The ABS class certification is more than a certificate — it’s a signal to governments and the maritime industry that Saildrone USVs are mature, safe, tested, and ready for scale,” Richard Jenkins, Saildrone founder and CEO, said in a statement. “It’s been a very large investment and a multi-year process to achieve ABS Class Certification, but we are proud to be the first company in the world to do so and proud that our systems have reached the highest standards as required by the ABS Class certificate.”
Patrick Ryan, ABS senior vice president and chief technology officer, said in a statement, “ABS and Saildrone are pioneering new frontiers, setting the pace for innovation. This step forward is a result of our investments in ABS’ technical capability and helping to ensure our rules are able to support innovation with an unwavering focus on safety.”
Saildrone Surveyors are built through a partnership between Saildrone and Austal USA, Mobile, Ala. Saildrone designs the vehicles and builds the fiberglass composite wings and internal components at its headquarters in Alameda, while the aluminum hulls and keels are manufactured at Austal USA's shipyard in Mobile. To date, six have been built, Saildrone said.
The Saildrone Surveyor is intended for long-duration missions in open ocean environments, collecting deep-ocean bathymetric data and supporting maritime domain awareness activities, including infrastructure security and anti-submarine warfare. The Voyager, in contrast, is optimized for coastal and near-shore operations.
Saildrone’s USV fleet operates without any crew on board and is being used in a variety of missions globally, including ocean mapping, border and infrastructure security, and persistent surveillance.
