Overview
- The Navy awarded a $16.3 million extension to Saildrone to continue operating Voyager unmanned surface vessels in the U.S. Southern Command region through 2027.
- Saildrone and Navy statements say a Voyager helped track a suspicious ship in October 2025 that led to a U.S. interdiction and the seizure of roughly $81 million in cocaine.
- Saildrone reports about 20–21 Voyagers have patrolled the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since 2023 and the vehicles are designed to stay on station for up to 100 days to provide long‑duration surveillance.
- Navy leaders frame the task order as part of a broader 'hedge strategy' to integrate autonomous systems into force packages and use SOUTHCOM as a test bed for those concepts.
- The Voyagers operate with JIATF‑S and Fourth Fleet units to cue crewed interdictions while a separate campaign of strikes on suspected narco vessels and trafficker route changes continues to shape regional operations.