NOAA Sends Autonomous Surface Vehicles Into Hurricanes to Study Rapid Intensification

Long-running partnership with Saildrone aims to improve hurricane forecasting and rapid intensification models

Saildrone announced plans to deploy 10 Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) during the 2026 hurricane season in partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The mission will support hurricane forecasting and storm research across the Atlantic basin.

The deployment continues a collaboration between NOAA and Saildrone that began in 2021. NOAA scientists will define mission objectives as storms develop, while Saildrone operators will position the USVs to collect real-time ocean and weather data inside and around tropical systems.

The Saildrone Explorer vehicles will operate from July through November in the western tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of America. As storms form, the USVs will move into position to gather data in areas where traditional observations can be difficult or dangerous.

Focus on Rapid Intensification

NOAA researchers will use the collected data to study how heat, moisture, and momentum move between the ocean and atmosphere during storms. Scientists hope the information will improve forecasting models, especially for rapid intensification events.

Rapid intensification occurs when a hurricane’s maximum sustained winds increase by at least 30 knots, or 35 mph, within 24 hours. These events remain one of the most difficult hurricane behaviors to predict accurately.

“This multi-year mission between NOAA and Saildrone is helping to improve our understanding of how hurricanes intensify, including when they strengthen rapidly before landfall,” said Greg Foltz, an oceanographer at NOAA and one of the principal investigators on the mission. “Each storm we observe gives us more data to evaluate and improve prediction models, which is critical for increasing forecast confidence, extending warning lead times, and strengthening the nation’s preparedness for high-impact weather events.”

Each Saildrone Explorer will carry meteorological and oceanographic sensors designed to measure wind speed and direction, temperatures above and below the ocean surface, humidity, air pressure, salinity, and wave conditions. Two of the USVs will also include NOAA ASVCO2 sensors to measure carbon dioxide exchange between the ocean and atmosphere.

Uncrewed Systems in Extreme Conditions

The Saildrone Explorer is a 7-meter uncrewed surface vehicle designed for long-duration operations in harsh maritime conditions. For hurricane missions, the USVs use a shorter “hurricane” wing designed to withstand extreme winds and sea states inside tropical cyclones.

“The NOAA hurricane mission is one of Saildrone’s longest-running and most successful partnerships, and also one of the most technically demanding,” said Matt Womble, vice president of government relations at Saildrone. “This mission reinforces the value of mature, long-duration uncrewed systems for operating in environments where persistent data collection is otherwise impossible by traditional means. Better hurricane data supports better forecasts, and better forecasts strengthen national resilience—protecting lives, infrastructure, commerce, and critical operations. Saildrone is tremendously proud to continue this work with NOAA.”

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