A maritime defense and ocean research company that provides naval drones to the Israeli Navy.
Saildrone, headquartered in Alameda, California, makes autonomous naval Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USFs), also known as naval drones or drone boats. The company markets its drones for military use, although they do not appear to be armed.
The Israeli military announced it had deployed naval drones for the first time in May 2025. The make and model of the drones were not disclosed, but the enclosed pictures show a Saildrone Voyager drone.
The Israeli Navy said it uses naval drones to collect information “for threat analysis and force deployment” across Israel’s “economic waters,” and specifically to protect “strategic assets” such as Israel's offshore gas rigs, which are primarily operated by Chevron. The Israeli Navy is also the primary government agency enforcing the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, but it is unclear what role, if any, naval drones play there.
Saildrone participated in two joint U.S.-Israeli military exercises that focused on integrating naval drones into maritime operations, in 2022 and 2023. Prior to that, the Israeli Navy reportedly tested two other naval drones, Elbit Systems' Seagull and Rafael's Protector, but the Navy aborted these projects in 2020.
Saildrone’s naval drones are integrated into the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard operations. The company also has a “strategic partnership” with military contractor Palantir, using artificial intelligence to enhance Saildrone’s “manufacturing, supply chain, and fleet operations.”