US unmanned systems specialist Saildrone has completed a mission to map the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Cayman Islands using an unmanned surface vehicle (USV).
A high-resolution bathymetric map of a country’s EEZ is a prerequisite for exploring and managing natural resources in waters extending up to 200 nautical miles from its shores.
Prior to the Saildrone survey, the extent to which the Cayman EEZ had been surveyed with modern multi-beam sonar technology was only 20,000 square kilometres of seafloor concentrated around the deep water of the Cayman Trench.
Over the course of approximately 300 mission days, Saildrone surveyed approximately 90,000 square kilometres of seabed.
Saildrone said the USV also endured multiple severe-weather systems and extended periods of high sea states. The company emphasised that operating safely and consistently in these conditions helped validate the platform’s proven capability to remain on survey up to sea state seven.
Meanwhile, the autonomy and endurance of the USV allowed the Saildrone team to maintain survey progress through long stretches of remote ocean without human presence onboard.
Watchstanders monitored the mission continuously from thousands of miles away, using Saildrone’s mission portal to assess coverage, quality, environmental conditions, and system health in near real-time.
This remote-operations model — which Saildrone said was central to the success of the Cayman campaign — also demonstrated how small island nations can access global-standard hydrography without owning, maintaining, or staffing a survey vessel.
The USV required minimal shoreside infrastructure and operated entirely without local crew. Saildrone said the vehicle’s long endurance, combined with remote operations, provides a scalable model that can be replicated across the Caribbean and beyond.
