Saildrone announces European expansion for drone boats

Saildrone, the U.S. maker of autonomous surface vessels—or drone boats—announced plans to expand European production across Norway, Poland and the Netherlands. The company says the first Europe-built 170-foot Saildrone Spectre will be constructed at Van Der Valk Shipyard in the Netherlands, while the next-generation 65-foot Saildrone Surveyor will be manufactured at Umoe Mandal in Norway. Southern Spars will produce Surveyor wings in Poland. Saildrone’s European Union headquarters officially opened in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the historic Qunitus Bastion. Robert Kleist, managing director of Saildrone Europe, tied the move to building sovereign capability for European partners. The firm also cited a Denmark-led $60 million investment and a six-month deployment of four Saildrone Voyager craft with 92% fleet uptime.