THE APEX TIMES
Lockheed Martin and Saildrone conduct RIMPAC live-fire launch using USV with JAGM system
In a Navy-sponsored interoperability demonstration, a Saildrone Surveyor unmanned surface vehicle fired two rounds from a dual launcher integrated with JAGM fire control and ARES remote engagement systems.
Lockheed Martin and Saildrone have demonstrated an armed-ship capability during RIMPAC 2026, showing how a commercial unmanned surface vessel (USV) can be integrated with Navy combat systems for remote, container-like mission payloads. The companies said the test used a Saildrone Surveyor class USV configured to operate with a Joint-Air-to-Ground (JAGM) Dual Launcher and related fire control and command-and-control software, then executed live firing during a Navy-sponsored exercise near Hawaii.
According to Lockheed Martin’s release, the demonstration launched two rounds from the Surveyor platform in coordination with the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group. The platform’s operation was enabled by the U.S. Navy’s Adjunct Remote Engagement System (ARES), described by the company as a remotely operated combat system. Lockheed Martin said the event moved quickly “from concept to demonstration” over six months through partnership with the U.S. Navy, with an emphasis on integrating established capabilities onto commercial USVs.
The test scenario included interoperability with target data, with the Saildrone Surveyor acting on target information for a surrogate high-speed surface craft. The companies framed this as a proof of concept for how unmanned platforms could receive and use cueing data from larger formations during multi-domain operations. Lockheed Martin did not provide details on the specific target-track source or the end-to-end data link architecture in its announcement.
In addition to the kinetic demonstration, Lockheed Martin said the platform also carried out a passive electronic warfare (EW) capability. The release states that the system detected, classified, and identified a surrogate threat radar system during the event, with the demonstration conducted in conjunction with a Navy MH-60S helicopter. This portion was described as taking place during the same multi-domain exercise window, again near Hawaii.
The live-fire demonstration was conducted under the Navy’s Fleet Experimentation Program (FLEX) sponsorship at RIMPAC 2026, which Lockheed Martin called the world’s largest international naval exercise. FLEX is used for experimentation and evaluation of new concepts and technologies, and the companies’ statement positions the Saildrone payload integration as something intended to mature rapidly through controlled tests with Navy observers and infrastructure.
Lockheed Martin said the work is part of a broader plan to pair autonomous commercial USVs with “lethal, combat proven” defense technology. The company characterized the Saildrone platform as delivering an autonomous base with mission payloads that could be deployed in a containerized form factor, aligning with U.S. Navy interest in modular capabilities that can be fielded faster than traditional ship-based system upgrades.
A key element of the announcement is that the Surveyor class test is presented as the first step in a series of planned trials aboard Saildrone platforms integrated with Navy combat systems. Lockheed Martin named a Spectre-class platform as a future integration target, describing it as designed to support significantly larger containerized capabilities. The release specifically cited the Lockheed Martin Mk 70 launcher and SURTASS Towed Array as examples of payloads that the Spectre-class could carry.
Lockheed Martin also used the demonstration to argue that USVs can be “de-risked” for deployment by starting with proven munitions and then scaling to more sophisticated kinetic packages. Richard Jenkins, Saildrone’s founder and CEO, said the successful live-fire outcome came from pairing “one of the most tried and trusted munitions” with an operationally deployed USV class. He added that the results are intended to accelerate development of fitting more advanced kinetic capabilities, such as the Mk70 launcher, to the larger Saildrone Spectre platform.
The companies did not disclose the exact configuration details of the JAGM Dual Launcher integration, the specific software versioning for fire control and ARES command-and-control, or performance metrics such as range, shot outcomes, time-to-cue, or target classification accuracy for the EW portion. They also did not specify whether the system was fully autonomous from cueing to engagement or how much human supervision occurred during each phase of the demonstration.
Why It Matters
- The event suggests the Navy is testing modular ways to field lethal and sensing capabilities on USVs without waiting for bespoke unmanned warships.
- By using container-like mission payload integration concepts, the approach could reduce time and cost to iterate on new capabilities compared with traditional shipboard upgrades.
- Successful live firing plus passive EW detection in the same exercise supports the idea that autonomous surface platforms may be used not only for sensing but also for remote engagement support.
- The demonstration reinforces industry efforts to connect commercial autonomy platforms to established, combat-proven weapon and command systems.
Key Facts
- Lockheed Martin and Saildrone launched two rounds from a Saildrone Surveyor class USV integrated with a JAGM Dual Launcher and fire control C2 tied to ARES.
- The demonstration occurred during RIMPAC 2026 near Hawaii and was sponsored by the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Experimentation Program (FLEX).
- Lockheed Martin said the USV acted on target data for a surrogate high-speed surface craft in coordination with the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group.
- The companies said the Saildrone Surveyor also performed passive electronic warfare by detecting, classifying, and identifying a surrogate threat radar system in conjunction with an MH-60S helicopter.
- Lockheed Martin said the concept-to-demonstration effort took six months with the U.S. Navy, aiming to integrate Navy combat systems onto commercial USVs quickly.
- Future tests are planned on other Saildrone platforms, including Spectre-class, with the release citing the Mk 70 launcher and SURTASS Towed Array as potential containerized capabilities.
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