Sailing tech trickles down to defense

American Magic Services (AMS), based at the American Magic High Performance Center in Pensacola, Florida, has been retained by Saildrone, a maritime defense company best known for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), for their newly unveiled Spectre platform.

At 170 feet long, weighing 250 tons, and capable of up to 30 knots, Spectre is the largest, fastest, and most capable Saildrone platform to date. Spectre is optimized for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations, a mission set that demands extreme endurance and an ultra-quiet acoustic signature.

Spectre achieves this by leveraging the proven endurance, reliability, and silent propulsion of the Saildrone wind-powered wing system. However, from the outset, Spectre was also designed to operate without the wing for kinetic strike roles, which require higher sprint speeds and low-profile stealth operations.

The 140-foot composite Saildrone Wing will be manufactured by AMS in Pensacola, FL. Drawing on a pedigree in high-performance America’s Cup racing, AMS brings advanced composite engineering and manufacturing capabilities to the platform. Building on its experience serving the marine, aerospace, and defense industries, AMS is capable of producing five Spectre wings per year.

“Saildrone has set the standard for innovation and performance in unmanned systems, and we’re proud to support the advancement of the Spectre platform,” said AMS CEO Tyson Lamond. “At the American Magic High Performance Center in Pensacola, in close proximity to key US naval and maritime operations, we bring together elite composite manufacturing and a proven high-performance culture, positioning us to deliver at the level this platform demands.”

Saildrone founder and CEO Richard Jenkins adds, “Spectre is the result of 25 years of continually pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. A unique design evolved through the hard lessons of operational experience in the real world. Spectre is not a craft hurriedly readied to meet a particular RFP, but diligently evolved over multiple years to meet the operational requirements of our customers and fill critical capability gaps in the ASW domain.”

Like the Saildrone Voyager and Surveyor, Spectre leverages wind, solar, and diesel propulsion, but Spectre is no ordinary diesel ship. Spectre runs twin shaftlines with dual electric and diesel propulsion, enabling near-silent electric propulsion up to 12 knots, before kicking in 5,000 horsepower of Caterpillar diesel engines to propel the vessel up to 27 knots with full fuel and a 25,000 kg payload.

Cruising at 25 knots with a 25,000 kg payload, Spectre has a range of 3,280 nautical miles in flat water and 2,790 nm range in 4 to 8 foot sea state. Controllable-pitch propellers enable extremely efficient operations throughout the speed range, allowing for controllable acoustic signatures and near-silent slow-speed operations for tow bodies such as thin-line towed arrays and variable-depth sonar systems.

The concealed payload deck provides room for containerized payloads, ranging from dual 40-foot containers, up to five 20-foot containers, or a mixture of configurations in between. This unique configuration, close to the waterline, allows easy deployment of payloads via the transom, while the bulwarks protect them from prying eyes and the driving sea spray that will be relentless at high speeds in rough weather. Spectre’s maximum payload capacity is over 70 tonnes.

“Spectre represents a transformative step forward for naval surface warfare. Its endurance, payload flexibility, and seamless integration with advanced missile and sonar systems will give the US Navy a persistent, low observable USV that can deliver on a spectrum of maritime missions,” said Paul Lemmo at Lockheed Martin.

“Lockheed Martin is proud to partner with Saildrone to bring this capability to life, and we look forward to demonstrating its power at upcoming on-water, live fire demonstrations.”

Spectre is constructed from aluminum and will be built in Wisconsin at the Fincantieri system of shipyards, which has the capacity to manufacture five Spectre vessels per year. Construction will begin shortly, with the first vessel undergoing sea trials in early 2027.