From the Baltic to the Gulf: where USV procurement is heading next
Saildrone’s Voyager USV completed a six-month deployment in the Baltic Sea for Denmark. (Photo: Saildrone)
Saildrone’s new Copenhagen base is one sign of a larger shift, as navies globally turn to uncrewed vessels for surveillance and mine clearance.
The opening of Saildrone’s European headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark on 17 August 2026 was presented as a company milestone. Set against the procurement signals emerging globally, it reads as wider evidence that navies are beginning to adopt uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) as working parts of the fleet.
Saildrone, a US developer of USVs, said its Danish base would support new construction projects at Van der Valk Shipyard in the Netherlands, Umoe Mandal in Norway and Southern Spars in Poland. The company, which announced a European subsidiary in April 2025 backed by a US$60 million funding round led by the Export and
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Chinese maritime militia puts naval surveillance to the test]()
Chinese maritime militia puts naval surveillance to the test
With record deployments in the South China Sea and a newly reported sighting east of Taiwan, China’s maritime militia is putting greater pressure on regional surveillance. How can navies establish what these vessels are doing quickly and reliably enough to respond?
-
![‘Now Europe is a market’: Fincantieri sees new opportunities closer to home]()
‘Now Europe is a market’: Fincantieri sees new opportunities closer to home
Fincantieri naval vessels chief Eugenio Santagata spoke to Shephard about opportunities and how they sit within a portfolio backed by a “strong backlog”, as Euronaval 2026 unfolded.
-
![ST Engineering makes Euronaval debut with MRV European export campaign]()
ST Engineering makes Euronaval debut with MRV European export campaign
A six-ship home order, agreements with Saab, Naval Group and Babcock and spare yard capacity underpin the group’s first Euronaval bid for smaller European navies.
