Saildrone, Alameda, Calif., on Monday announced the Spectre, a 52-meter uncrewed surface vessel built for anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, and kinetic strike operations. It is the company's largest and fastest platform to date.
Unveiled at Sea-Air-Space 2026 in National Harbor, Md., the vessel weighs 250 metric tons and can reach speeds of up to 30 knots. Construction is set to begin shortly at Fincantieri Marine Group's shipyards in Wisconsin, with sea trials slated for early 2027.
The Spectre is designed to operate in two distinct configurations depending on the mission. In its winged configuration, the vessel deploys a 43-meter composite sail wing that enables the ultra-quiet, long-endurance operations demanded by anti-submarine warfare. For kinetic strike missions requiring higher sprint speeds and a lower profile, the wing is removed entirely, allowing the vessel to operate with greater stealth and agility.
In either configuration, the Spectre runs twin shaftlines with both electric and diesel propulsion. At lower speeds, it operates on near-silent electric drive up to 12 knots; above that, twin Caterpillar diesel engines producing 5,000 hp push the vessel to 27 knots while carrying a 25,000-kg payload. Controllable-pitch propellers allow operators to manage acoustic signatures — a critical feature for towing sonar arrays. Range at cruising speed is approximately 3,280 nautical miles in calm water.
The vessel's concealed payload deck can accommodate configurations ranging from two 40' containers to five 20' containers, with a maximum payload capacity exceeding 70 metric tons. Payloads can be deployed through the transom. Lockheed Martin has confirmed compatibility with several of its systems, including the TB29 thin-line towed array, the Mk70 VLS missile launcher — the Spectre can carry two — and the CAPTAS-4 variable-depth sonar from Thales/AAC.
Saildrone founder and CEO Richard Jenkins said the design reflects more than a decade of real-world operational experience. "Spectre is not a craft hurriedly readied to meet a particular RFP, but diligently evolved over multiple years to meet the operational requirements of our customers and fill critical capability gaps in the ASW domain," he said.
“Saildrone’s decades of operating unmanned surface vessels, combined with Spectre’s unique features as a multi-mission platform, represent an ideal case on which to apply Fincantieri Marine Group’s proven expertise in the serial production of aluminum vessels,” said Fincantieri Marine Group CEO George Moutafis. “We are excited to join this formidable team and swiftly deliver these capabilities to the warfighter.”
Paul Lemmo, vice president and general manager for sensors, effectors, and mission systems at Lockheed Martin, said the company looks forward to "upcoming on-water, live fire demonstrations" of the platform.
Performance figures were validated through tow tank testing at Force Technologies in Copenhagen using a 1/7th-scale model, and the design has received approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping under its High Speed Naval Craft classification. The 43-meter composite sail wing will be manufactured by American Magic Services at its facility in Pensacola, Fla.
