The Danish Armed Forces are set to trial four autonomous sea drones that will patrol Northern Europe waters, looking for signs of criminal activity. 

Powered by wind and solar, the uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) will gather real-time data using sensors and cameras positioned both above and beneath the water. An onboard computer will stream this data to a machine learning algorithm that is trained to spot patterns and potential threats.

The technology is designed to help the Danish defence forces identify threats such as enemy submarines, illegal fishing, drug smuggling, or tampering with undersea cables. The drones will also perform deep-sea mapping to give authorities a clearer perspective of the ocean floor and underwater infrastructure, such as communication cables, pipelines, and offshore energy platforms. 

Surveillance of this kind has become increasingly urgent since the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, which exposed the vulnerability of underwater assets to covert attacks. Denmark is also stepping up its maritime defences in the Baltic Sea amid growing concerns over Russian aggression.

The robotic sailboats are made and operated by Saildrone, a US-based tech firm founded by British engineer Richard Jenkins in 2012. In its early days, Saildrone mainly focused on climate and weather surveying. But now the vast majority of its 140-strong fleet is deployed for defence and security purposes. 

“The Baltic, North Sea, and European Arctic waters are currently facing unprecedented threats,” said Jenkins. “We are very excited to be partnering with the Danish armed forces to deploy Saildrone systems to help protect Europe's critical undersea infrastructure and increase regional security.”

Denmark's army will begin testing the four vessels in June, as part of a broader effort to beef up its high-tech defences, including deploying mine-hunting underwater drones and uncrewed surveillance aircraft. 

Last month, the Nordic country announced a $614mn spending package. It will use the money to procure 26 new naval vessels, more drones, and sonar equipment in response to emerging maritime threats — particularly from Russia. 

Last month, the company set up a Danish subsidiary in Copenhagen, which it hopes will bring the technology closer to key defence markets including the UK, France, and Germany.