American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has awarded classification to the Saildrone Surveyor, a fully autonomous, 20-meter deepwater unmanned surface vehicle (USV). Capable of operating across the world’s oceans without crew onboard, the Surveyor represents the largest class of USVs developed by Saildrone, a leader in maritime security, ocean mapping, and environmental data solutions.
“ABS and Saildrone are pioneering new frontiers, setting the pace for innovation,” said Patrick Ryan, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at ABS. “This step forward is a result of our investments in ABS’ technical capability and ensuring our Rules support innovation with an unwavering focus on safety.”
Richard Jenkins, Saildrone founder and CEO, emphasized the significance of the milestone: “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. It has been a multi-year process to achieve this, but we are proud to be the first company in the world to do so.”
The Surveyor is designed for long-endurance missions, including deep-ocean bathymetry and a wide range of maritime domain awareness tasks. This achievement builds on the success of Saildrone’s smaller 10-meter Voyager, which achieved ABS class certification in 2023 for persistent coastal surveillance.
Saildrone’s USVs operate fully autonomously and are monitored remotely 24/7 by the company’s global Mission Management team, setting new benchmarks for safe, sustainable, and scalable ocean operations.
