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Thales & Saildrone Integrate Blue Sentry Array with Uncrewed Systems
April 7, 2025 | ThalesEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Thales Australia and Saildrone announce successful integration of the Thales Blue Sentry array and Saildrone’s uncrewed systems. A potent new national security capability, now proven at sea
Thales Australia’s BlueSentry thin-line towed sonar array has been successfully integrated into Saildrone’s Surveyor-class Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV), demonstrating exceptional operational performance during a weeks-long mission conducted off the United States.
Saildrone successfully and autonomously supported a towed array capable of waging long-range Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), with the ability to detect and classify both Underwater Vehicles , and surface vessels in real time.
The Thales Australia partnership with U.S company Saildrone, and the new ready-to-deploy capability, mark an important step towards expanding the scope of naval interoperability and autonomous maritime capability developments between AUKUS partners to deliver on AUKUS Pillar 2 requirements.
The Thales-Saildrone System – ready to deploy
The successful trial, funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research, has advanced an AUKUS-aligned partnership that could boost the national security of Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.
During a continuous 26-day mission off the coast of California, the system identified and tracked vessels of interest in real time for further investigation by maritime security partners. The system showed particularly strong results in maintaining continuous surveillance across high-traffic areas where traditional maritime security assets are stretched thin and face significant operational challenges.
The system showed an ability to detect and track surface vessels, submarines and UUVs.
These capabilities, which can be effective in remote waters off the Australian coast, can also deliver on AUKUS Pillar 2 Undersea Warfare needs.
Saildrone’s Surveyor-class is a long-range, persistent autonomous maritime-domain awareness solution that harnesses wind and solar power while incorporating advanced communications technology and high-performance sensors.
Thales Australia’s BlueSentry thin-line towed array is a next-generation sonar payload designed and manufactured to enhance ASW and maritime domain awareness. It employs world-class acoustic sensor technology for both active and passive applications, along with advanced signal processing, recording, and reporting capabilities.
All components of BlueSentry, from the array to the data processing, are developed, manufactured and integrated in Thales Australia’s facility in Rydalmere, Western Sydney.
Saildrone and Thales Australia are ready to deploy these systems at scale, creating a network of autonomous, self-sustaining surveillance assets to enhance national security. As threats evolve and the demand for persistent undersea awareness increases, the Saildrone-Thales system offers a scalable, low-cost alternative to traditional surveillance platforms.
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