A fleet of Voyager uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) has been monitoring strategic waterways near Panama and the Galapagos Islands, leading to a significant Navy interdiction. A new $16.3 million task order extends their time on station.

The detection and interdiction of drug smugglers attempting to enter the United States by sea has remained a top priority across administrations and Pentagon and Coast Guard leadership. Patrolling the wide expanses of the southern maritime border is a daunting task for any fleet, and it is especially challenging for manned assets, which are limited in number and whose crews are most valuable when it is time to interdict.

The US Navy has recognized that unmanned systems like Saildrone are an important part of the solution. Able to remain on mission and on station for months at a time, Saildrone USVs are both a deterrent and an alarm. The value that they bring to this mission is not theoretical.

A Saildrone Voyager, the only USV that has been continuously operating in support of U.S. 4th Fleet since 2023, directly enabled an October 2025 drug bust during a Navy ship interdiction that seized more than $81 million worth of cocaine. This successful detection and interdiction is proof of Saildrone’s enduring and unmatched maritime domain awareness capability and reflects the ongoing work of Navy operators to integrate unmanned systems into daily operations.

“The continuity of Saildrone’s presence along the southern border for nearly three years demonstrates the strategic value we bring as the world’s most experienced operators of unmanned surface vehicles,” said Saildrone President VADM (ret.) John Mustin. “Our unmatched ability to remain on station and on mission in critical regions for months at a time is why our fleet serves as a powerful deterrent to bad actors. We look forward to continuing to partner with the Navy in its mission to secure the country’s maritime approaches and southern border.”

The Navy has awarded Saildrone a $16.3 million task order to extend operations of the Voyager fleet in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, supporting the Navy’s mission to counter drug smuggling and other illicit activity with persistent maritime domain awareness.

The Voyager USVs are operating in support of the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) and US Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Navy 4th Fleet.

Saildrone has operated Voyager USVs in the region since 2023. During that time, Saildrone has routinely integrated with 4th Fleet operators and watchstanders, helping create an operational environment in which manned and unmanned forces work together to maintain persistent maritime domain awareness.

The Saildrone Voyager is a 10-meter (33-foot) long-dwell unmanned surface vehicle designed for persistent surface and subsurface surveillance to enhance maritime domain awareness. In addition to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, the Saildrone Voyager can conduct near-shore mapping missions and seafloor characterization.