ABS has awarded classification to the Saildrone Surveyor, a fully autonomous deepwater unmanned surface vehicle (USV). At 20 meters long and designed for operations across global oceans, the Surveyor is the largest class of USVs built by Saildrone.
The company develops maritime security, ocean mapping, and meteorological and oceanographic data solutions using autonomous assets.
“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,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.
“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,” said Richard Jenkins, Saildrone founder and CEO. “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.”
The 20-meter Surveyor is capable of long-endurance missions in the open ocean, including deep-ocean bathymetry and maritime domain awareness tasks.
The announcement follows the smaller 10-meter Voyager, which obtained ABS Class in 2023 and is designed for coastal and near-shore surveillance.
Saildrone USVs operate without crew onboard and are monitored remotely around the clock by the company’s global Mission Management team.
ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) is an international classification society, legally structured as a non-profit corporation headquartered in Houston, United States. It provides classification and technical services to the marine and offshore industries, establishing and applying standards for the design, construction and maintenance of ships and offshore structures.
Saildrone Inc. is a U.S.-based private company headquartered in Alameda, California. It designs, manufactures and operates a fleet of wind- and solar-powered unmanned surface vehicles, offering services in data collection, surveillance, and mapping for government and commercial clients.
