Saildrone launches naval drone in the Red Sea resistant to GPS signal jamming
US-based unmanned craft manufacturer Saildrone has integrated new protective devices on its marine drones operating in the Middle East to protect them from the widespread disruption of communication systems in the region.
The company said it had successfully deployed its Saildrone Voyager, a 33-foot USV, in Jordan, equipped with new hardware and software algorithms, enabling it to operate in GPS-free environments.
"Due to regional events, GPS jamming and masking have hampered unmanned operating systems in the area - after intensive testing by our engineers to create a resilient positioning system, Saildrone now has the capability to operate autonomously in complex maritime environments," reads a company statement.
US Navy Task Force 59 has been using Saildrone USVs for several years as part of experiments with unmanned systems and artificial intelligence conducted in the US Fifth Fleet area of operations, which includes the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea.
The main challenges identified in these waters include piracy as well as arms and drug smuggling.
A more recent threat to regional maritime security has been GPS interference, according to UK Commercial Maritime Operations (UKMTO), which monitors reports of intrusions into these areas.
The agency received further confirmed reports from ships that experienced the disturbance in the Strait of Hormuz, with disruptions lasting several hours, affecting navigation systems and requiring ships to rely on back-up methods, it said in a statement on 10 March.
The upgrades made to Saildrone's USV exploit different forms of localisation to enable the systems to operate without relying solely on satellite signals.
The vessel performed missions in contested environments during International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2025, the largest maritime exercise in the Middle East, last month.
"Satellite positioning and connectivity can no longer be relied upon in potential future conflicts," said Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO of Saildrone.
In recent years, there has been increasing pressure for US forces to train without relying on GPS for positioning, navigation and timing information (PNT).
In a 2022 article for the US Naval Institute, US Navy Lieutenant Anthony Carrillo noted that a major vulnerability of the country's naval weapons is dependent on GPS.
Born Alessandro Generotti, C.le Maj. Parachutist on leave. Military Parachutist Patent no. 192806. 186th RGT Par. Folgore/5th BTG. Par. El Alamein/XIII Cp. Par. Condor.
Founder and administrator of the website BRIGATAFOLGORE.NET. Blogger and computer scientist by profession.
