Alameda, California-based unmanned systems manufacturer Saildrone is doubling its fleet of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean in support of Operation Southern Spear to detect and stem the flow of illegal drugs traveling through known maritime corridors into the United States.
Twenty examples of the company's high-endurance USVs equipped with newly upgraded sensor suites are being deployed to monitor illegal activity in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean.
The USVs will be operated by Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South) and Saildrone to detect and stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
Operation Southern Spear commenced in late January in the US Southern Command Area of Responsibility (USSOUTHCOM AOR).
Specifically, Operation Southern Spear will deploy long-range robotic surface vessels, small robotic interceptor boats, and vertical take-off and landing robotic air vessels to the USSOUTHCOM AOR, which covers the Caribbean and South America.
US 4th Fleet headquartered in Mayport, Florida, will operationalise these unmanned systems through integration with US Coast Guard cutters at sea and operations centres at 4th Fleet and JIATF-South.
The Saildrone USVs are designed to support distributed maritime operations by monitoring critical areas, such as chokepoints, for illicit activity. Equipped with advanced sensors, radar, and communication systems, the USVs can detect suspicious vessels, track their movements, and relay near real-time intelligence into a common operating picture for action.
Once a target is identified, Saildrone will provide precise coordinates and other data, enabling the coast guard to interdict bad actors before they reach US waters or deliver their illicit cargo.