The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has awarded classification to the Saildrone Surveyor, a 20-metre unmanned surface vehicle (USV) designed for deep-water missions, marking a major step forward in autonomous maritime operations.
The Surveyor, built by California-based Saildrone, is the largest class of unmanned vessel produced by the company to date. It is capable of fully autonomous, long-endurance operations across the world’s oceans, carrying out tasks including ocean mapping, deep-sea data collection and maritime domain awareness.
Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, said the classification reflected the society’s focus on balancing innovation and safety.
“ABS and Saildrone are pioneering new frontiers, setting the pace for innovation,” he said. “This step forward is a result of our investments in ABS’ technical capability and helping to ensure our Rules are able to support innovation with an unwavering focus on safety.”
The class certificate signals industry-level confidence in unmanned maritime systems, according to Saildrone founder and chief executive Richard Jenkins.
“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,” he said. “It’s been a very large investment and a multi-year process to achieve ABS Class Certification, but we are proud to be the first company in the world to do so.”
The 20-metre Surveyor follows Saildrone’s smaller 10-metre Voyager, which was granted ABS class status in 2023. While the Voyager was developed for persistent surveillance in coastal and near-shore waters, the Surveyor is designed for deep-ocean operations, including bathymetric surveys and extended environmental data missions.
Both vessels operate without any crew onboard, relying instead on autonomous navigation systems. They are remotely monitored around the clock by Saildrone’s global Mission Management team, underscoring the shift towards safer and more efficient unmanned maritime operations.
ABS, one of the world’s leading classification societies, is working closely with governments, regulators and industry stakeholders to support the integration of advanced remote-control and autonomous technologies into the maritime sector.
The certification is seen as a milestone not just for Saildrone but for the broader development of autonomous shipping. As the maritime industry explores pathways to reduce costs, improve safety, and cut emissions, unmanned vessels are expected to play an increasingly central role.
With its class status secured, the Surveyor is now positioned to expand operations globally, advancing both commercial and scientific exploration of the oceans.
