Navy tests Saildrone for first time in Digital Horizon exercise off Jordan's coast

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) has tested a new Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel for the first time from a naval base in the Gulf of Aqaba off of Jordan's coast.

The Saildrone Explorer USV sailed in the Gulf of Aqaba on Sunday.

The launch of the 23-foot-long, 16-foot tall USV into the water for the first time from the Royal Jordanian naval base was part of the Digital Horizon exercise to integrate new unmanned systems and artificial intelligence into U.S. 5th Fleet operations, NAVCENT said in a statement.

The testing stems from U.S. Navy leaders setting up in September Task Force 59 as its first-ever task force in the Middle East for learning how to incorporate unmanned systems and artificial intelligence into maritime operations, and collaboration with Jordanian naval leaders.

"These are exciting times for Task Force 59 as we team with the Royal Jordanian Navy to establish our hub for Red Sea operations in Aqaba and deploy some of our new maritime robotics," Capt. Michael Brasseur, maritime robotics expert and commander of NAVCENT's new task force for unmanned systems and artificial intelligence said in a statement.

The Saildrone Explorer is reliant on wind power for propulsion and houses a package of sensors powered through solar energy, according to NAVCENT.

"Our Saildrones leverage machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance maritime domain awareness, extending the digital horizon with a sustainable, zero-carbon solution," Brasseur said.

Earlier this month, the task force also launched at-sea operational tests for a MANTAS T-38 USV off the coast of Bahrain.

In October, the task force completed exercise New Horizon, its first at-sea evolution, where it integrated and evaluated new MANTAS T-12 USVs alongside crewed ships in the Arabian Gulf.