Saildrone Expands European Operations with Copenhagen HQ and Three Build Contracts

Saildrone, a leading maritime autonomy company, has unveiled a major European expansion, marking a significant milestone in its global operations. On August 18, 2026, the company announced the opening of its new European headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, along with three strategic build contracts across Northern Europe. This move aims to enhance Saildrone's presence and capabilities in the region, focusing on the production of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) tailored for European customers.

## New European Headquarters in Copenhagen

The Copenhagen office is situated at the historic Quintus Bastion in Holmen, a 17th-century site that once served as the Royal Danish Navy headquarters. The new facility will house various roles, including Mission Management, Vehicle Assembly and Service, Technical Operations, and the Pilot Team. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on August 17, officiated by His Royal Highness Brigadier General Prince Joachim of Denmark, Defence Industry Attaché.

Prince Joachim expressed his enthusiasm for the new headquarters, stating, "It is fantastic to see Saildrone’s European headquarters located here in this historic naval site in Central Copenhagen. Saildrone brings some of the latest maritime sensing technology to Denmark, which will certainly help protect our shared European waters against the many real threats we face today."

## Strategic Build Contracts Across Northern Europe

Saildrone has secured three key build contracts to manufacture its USVs in Europe:

| Shipyard | Location | Vehicle Type | |---|---|---| | Van Der Valk Shipyard | Netherlands | 52-meter (171-foot) Saildrone Spectre | | Umoe Mandal | Norway | Next-generation Surveyor | | Southern Spars | Poland | Surveyor wings |

These investments are part of Saildrone's strategy to provide sovereign capability for European partners, ensuring that the company's advanced maritime technology is readily available to address regional challenges.

Richard Jenkins, Saildrone founder and CEO, highlighted the significance of these projects, saying, "We are proud to announce not one, but three large construction projects. The first European-built 52-meter Saildrone Spectre will be built at Van Der Valk Shipyard in the Netherlands; the next generation of the Saildrone Surveyor will be produced at Umoe Mandal in Norway; and Southern Spars will produce Surveyor wings in Poland. Our EU Headquarters in Copenhagen will facilitate business development, maintenance operations, and piloting activities throughout our European operations."

## Enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness

Saildrone's European subsidiary, established in April 2025, has been backed by a $60 million funding round led by EIFO, the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark. The company's USVs have been instrumental in improving maritime domain awareness, countering drug trafficking, migrant crossings, and illegal fishing, and protecting critical marine infrastructure.

Robert Kleist, managing director of Saildrone Europe, emphasized the importance of bringing Saildrone's capabilities to European partners, stating, "Saildrone USVs have helped governments around the world to improve maritime domain awareness, counter drug trafficking, migrant crossings, and illegal fishing, and protect critical marine infrastructure. We are pleased to bring that proven capability to our European partners facing many of the same challenges. Bringing Saildrone manufacturing and operations to Europe creates an enduring sovereign capability for our European customers."

Saildrone operates a fleet of more than 70 USVs across four classes, including the 7-meter (23-foot) Explorer, 10-meter (33-foot) Voyager, 20-meter (66-foot) Surveyor, and 52-meter Spectre. The company's Voyager USVs recently completed a six-month deployment with the Danish Ministry of Defence, achieving a 92% fleet uptime and detecting over 170,000 unique contacts in harsh weather conditions.

Saildrone is set to participate in the DALO Industry Days in Herning on August 19-20, 2026, where it will showcase its latest advancements in maritime autonomy.