US Coast Guard expands unmanned vessel contract with Saildrone

The US Coast Guard has awarded Saildrone an $8.5 million contract extension to continue maritime domain awareness operations off the coast of New England through spring 2027. The contract utilizes Saildrone Voyager unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) to monitor domestic fisheries.

Between June and August, the fleet covered more than 19,000 nautical miles, using radar, Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, and onboard cameras to detect and track vessels. This data is provided to Coast Guard operators to support missions and deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The New England fishing industry is a significant economic driver, supporting over 289,000 jobs and generating more than $24 billion in annual sales impacts.