Daily Weird News Report
A robotic sail-powered vessel recently launched two guided missiles during a U.S. Navy exercise, demonstrating how an unmanned platform designed for long deployments could be adapted for strike missions.
According to New Atlas, the test involved Saildrone’s 65-foot Saildrone Surveyor Unmanned Surface Vessel during Exercise Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, 2026. The exercise took place off the coast of Hawaii as part of the Navy’s Fleet Experimentation Program.
The vessel carried a Lockheed Martin JAGM Dual Launcher and fired two Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles. The missiles were directed at a surrogate high-speed surface craft, using coordinated sensor information supplied by the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group.
The Surveyor also took part in a separate simulated mission during the exercise. Working with an MH-60S helicopter, it detected, classified and identified a simulated radar threat.
The platform uses a rigid sail along with an auxiliary diesel engine. Saildrone says the design can support a range of payloads and remain at sea for more than 180 days, attributes that make it suitable for extended reconnaissance and other missions without continuous outside support.
The live-fire demonstration reflects an effort to equip autonomous vehicles with more than observation equipment. The source described the broader objective as developing systems that can perform reconnaissance, electronic warfare, rescue and strike tasks, while allowing human personnel to retain higher-level and specialized responsibilities.
Lockheed Martin executive Paul Lemmo said the company and Saildrone were using commercial-industry capabilities to develop autonomous defense platforms with containerized equipment. He also said the companies intended to continue investing in capabilities before they were urgently needed.
The test did not involve a conventional warship or crewed surface combatant firing the missiles. Instead, the weapons were launched from a sail-powered unmanned vessel that can operate for months at sea, marking an unusual combination of maritime endurance, autonomous operation and guided missile capability.
