Saildrone Supports Coast Guard Missions in the Great Lakes and Northeast

11 May 2026

Saildrone Voyager SD-2050 deploys on Lake Erie as it begins its border security and MDA mission for the US Coast Guard in the Great Lakes. (Image credit: Saildrone)

The United States’ northern maritime approaches span thousands of miles of coastline, high-traffic waterways, productive fishing grounds, and vast operating areas where visibility is critical but difficult to maintain. From the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic, the US Coast Guard is responsible for detecting suspicious vessel activity, securing the US border and its maritime approaches, facilitating the flow of commerce vital to economic prosperity, and safeguarding domestic fisheries. Unpredictable weather, seasonal conditions, and the scale of the region make persistent monitoring a challenge for traditional patrols, along with crew endurance, maintenance requirements, and distance constraints.

Maintaining a clear picture of what is happening on the water is critical for protecting the maritime economy and ensuring the integrity of sovereign borders. From safeguarding domestic fishing grounds against encroaching illegal incursions to providing early warning for cross-border activity, maritime domain awareness (MDA) is the cornerstone of coastal security.

The Saildrone Voyager unmanned surface vehicle (USV) delivers solutions that support the Coast Guard’s efforts to integrate autonomous maritime technology, extend its reach, and close visibility gaps. As part of a $15.5 million contract signed in March, Saildrone is deploying a fleet of 16 Voyager USVs across the Northeast and Great Lakes.

“The expansion of our partnership with the Coast Guard into the Great Lakes and Northeast regions reflects the value Saildrone has delivered in prior missions,” said Saildrone President and retired US Navy Vice Adm. John Mustin. “This Voyager fleet will help the Coast Guard maintain persistent, scalable maritime domain awareness across these expansive waters, identifying threats in real time and enabling focused, high-impact interdiction.”

This deployment builds on Saildrone’s prior operations alongside the US Coast Guard since 2023, supporting counter-drug and migrant interdictions, safety of life at sea (SOLAS) missions, and efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Southwest and Southeast districts.

Border Security in the Great Lakes

In the Great Lakes, maintaining a clear picture of maritime activity is critical for tracking cross-border vessel movement and providing early warning of illicit operations, including drug smuggling. The region’s size, busy waterways, long stretches of maritime border, and variable seasonal operating conditions make persistent monitoring difficult across much of the year.

Saildrone Voyager USVs provide a persistent, on-station presence that assists the Coast Guard with monitoring wide areas, identifying suspicious activity, and maintaining awareness across the maritime border without relying solely on crewed patrols.

Illegal Fishing in the North Atlantic

In the Northeast, safeguarding America’s domestic fishing grounds against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a key objective. The North Atlantic is vast, remote, and operationally demanding, making it difficult to maintain continuous visibility with crewed patrol assets alone.

By deploying Voyager USVs to monitor fishing vessel activity, the Coast Guard establishes a continuous maritime intelligence layer without overly burdening personnel. This persistent presence helps detect potential violations, support enforcement decisions, and deter illegal activity while reserving crewed assets for interdiction and enforcement at the moment of need.

In both regions, Saildrone Voyager USVs help the Coast Guard to reserve manned assets for interdictions and enforcement at the moment of need.

A Force Multiplier for Coastal Security

The Saildrone Voyager is a 10-meter (33-foot) USV designed for persistent surface and subsurface surveillance to enhance maritime domain awareness. Each Saildrone Voyager is equipped with high-resolution cameras, advanced radar, and automatic identification system (AIS) receivers to provide a complete picture of surface activity. The USVs identify and track vessel activity and deliver near-real-time data to Coast Guard command centers, allowing human operators to monitor vast stretches of water from shore and deploy manned interdiction assets only when a verified threat is detected. In addition to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, the Voyager platform can conduct near-shore mapping missions and seafloor characterization.

Saildrone’s Voyager fleet acts as a force multiplier, ensuring that even in the most remote or weather-beaten corners of our northern borders, the US maintains a clear, actionable view of its coastal waters.