Saildrone growth playbook

Publish /how-to-buy (and a European version): registrations (UEI DR4UE3MCD3K7, CAGE 7EAH1, primary NAICS 334511, ISO 9001), the ways to buy (data or Mission-as-a-Service task orders, vehicle purchase, subcontract or teaming), the contract vehicles Saildrone can be ordered through (as Contracting confirms them), recent awards as references (NAVOCEANO $10M task order, the USCG $8.5M extension), and a direct contact for contracting questions. Link it from the Fully Managed page, every platform page and the footer, and offer a one-page capability statement PDF.

Contracting officers and program staff look for exactly this before they can act on interest; making it easy shortens the step between a briefing and an order, and gives the VP of Marketing a measurable capture asset.

[ ] UEI, CAGE code, NAICS codes, ISO 9001
[ ] Ways to buy: data / Mission-as-a-Service, vehicle purchase, teaming
[ ] Contract vehicles confirmed by Contracting
[ ] Recent public awards as references
[ ] Contracting contact (not the general form)
[ ] Capability statement PDF
[ ] European version under /eu-en
[ ] Linked from Fully Managed and every platform page

• Listing vehicles Saildrone cannot use

  Contracting signs off every line and dates the page.

• Sensitive programme details

  Show only publicly released awards.

• HiringVice President, Marketing (Washington DC, posted October 9, 2026), on the "DC Capture team" reporting to the Chief Government Relations Officer: "realigning our marketing apparatus to Washington, DC" and moving Saildrone "from early-stage growth to defense market maturity". Responsibilities include the "Defense Heavyweight Pivot", campaign plans aligned "with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives" to "influence long-cycle federal acquisitions", "regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers", and "measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns". Travel 20-30% for "industry events, government briefings".Source
• HiringDirector of Contracting (Washington DC, posted August 17, 2026), reporting to the VP of Business Development: negotiates "subcontracting, teaming, consortium, and contract modifications with International, Commercial, and US Government clients" and manages "Saildrone's relationships with customer procurement authorities".Source
• Your websiteFully Managed page: Mission-as-a-Service where "Saildrone owns, operates, and services the vehicles", letting customers "deploy assets rapidly without long procurement cycles or capital outlay", with data delivered "into existing COPs". The page does not say how an agency orders it.Source
• Your websiteContact page: one form for every request, with "What's your inquiry about?" options Defense & Security (US/Global), Ocean Mapping & Metoc Data (US/Global), Defense & Security / Mapping (Europe), Careers, Media Inquiry, Active Mission Support and General Question. No field for agency, mission type, timeline or contract vehicle.Source
• Public registrationSAM.gov registration (via programmable.info): SAILDRONE INC, UEI DR4UE3MCD3K7, CAGE 7EAH1, active through May 27, 2027, primary NAICS 334511 with 15 more codes; the site footer lists ISO 9001 certification.Source
• Your websitePress release, September 15, 2026: a $10 million NAVOCEANO task order for bathymetric survey in the Atlantic with Saildrone Surveyor, running through most of 2027; "only 28.7%* of the world's oceans mapped to modern standards".Source
• Your websiteNews, October 22, 2026: the US Coast Guard awarded "an $8.5 million extension" for maritime domain awareness around New England fisheries through spring 2027; from June through August the fleet "sailed more than 19,000 nautical miles and generated thousands of contact detections".Source

Agree one current figure for miles, days at sea and years of operation, with an "as of" date, store it as one Webflow component or CMS field, and use it on the homepage, menu, About page, press boilerplate and capability statement. Update it quarterly.

Consistent proof builds trust, and one source of truth stops the numbers drifting again.

• Numbers change fast

  Round down and date them.

• Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the menu says "more than 2 million nautical miles sailed, and 60,000 days at sea" while the hero band says "3m NAUTICAL MILES SAILED" and "70K DAYS AT SEA". Six capabilities (MDA, undersea detection, ocean mapping, sub-bottom profiling, METOC, kinetics and effectors), four platforms (Spectre, Surveyor, Voyager, Explorer) and one call to action, "Contact Us".Source
• Your websiteAbout page: "2.5m NAUTICAL MILES SAILED" and "65K DAYS AT SEA"; a history timeline (Copenhagen headquarters 2025, Spectre design 2026); backers include BOND, XN, Standard Investments, Emerson Collective, Crowley Maritime Corporation and Lux Capital.Source
• HiringVice President, Marketing (Washington DC, posted October 9, 2026), on the "DC Capture team" reporting to the Chief Government Relations Officer: "realigning our marketing apparatus to Washington, DC" and moving Saildrone "from early-stage growth to defense market maturity". Responsibilities include the "Defense Heavyweight Pivot", campaign plans aligned "with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives" to "influence long-cycle federal acquisitions", "regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers", and "measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns". Travel 20-30% for "industry events, government briefings".Source

Keep a light general form, and add a "Start a mission" form for buyers: organization type (Navy, Coast Guard, NOAA, allied navy, commercial), mission (MDA, mapping, METOC, ASW), area, duration, timeline and whether funding exists. Route defense, mapping and Europe to their owners in the CRM and reply within one business day.

Better first data lets BD prioritize and answer fast, and shows which missions and regions drive demand.

• Longer form, fewer inquiries

  Make most fields optional.

• Your websiteContact page: one form for every request, with "What's your inquiry about?" options Defense & Security (US/Global), Ocean Mapping & Metoc Data (US/Global), Defense & Security / Mapping (Europe), Careers, Media Inquiry, Active Mission Support and General Question. No field for agency, mission type, timeline or contract vehicle.Source
• HiringAccount Manager, Ocean Mapping (Washington DC, posted August 26, 2026): business development with "US Government agencies, with a particular focus on the US Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)"; "track and anticipate forthcoming call orders, task instructions, and long-term USG requirements"; lead bid development and "position the company for continued capture and follow-on work".Source
• HiringVice President, Marketing (Washington DC, posted October 9, 2026), on the "DC Capture team" reporting to the Chief Government Relations Officer: "realigning our marketing apparatus to Washington, DC" and moving Saildrone "from early-stage growth to defense market maturity". Responsibilities include the "Defense Heavyweight Pivot", campaign plans aligned "with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives" to "influence long-cycle federal acquisitions", "regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers", and "measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns". Travel 20-30% for "industry events, government briefings".Source
• HiringEvery Saildrone post: manufacturing and R&D in Alameda, "business development and sales operations in Washington, DC, and deployment hubs in Europe and the Middle East". Open now: Mission Manager - Middle East (Abu Dhabi, posted September 16, 2026), a Mission Manager in Alameda (September 10) and a Director, Fleet Service (September 30) for "maximum operational uptime" of the fleet.Source

Find the shifting elements with PageSpeed and the Chrome performance panel (usually images without dimensions, late fonts or the region selector), reserve their space and check the homepage and platform pages on mobile.

It moves the site to passing Core Web Vitals with little work and protects the strong load times.

• Design changes

  Keep visual changes minimal.

• Chrome UX ReportReal Chrome visitors to saildrone.com (75th percentile): LCP 969 ms (good, and 12% faster than before), INP 66 ms (good), CLS 0.14, above the 0.1 "good" threshold for layout shift.Source
• Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the menu says "more than 2 million nautical miles sailed, and 60,000 days at sea" while the hero band says "3m NAUTICAL MILES SAILED" and "70K DAYS AT SEA". Six capabilities (MDA, undersea detection, ocean mapping, sub-bottom profiling, METOC, kinetics and effectors), four platforms (Spectre, Surveyor, Voyager, Explorer) and one call to action, "Contact Us".Source

Make cost per area a headline proof: a short page and chart comparing Saildrone's cost per sq nm per day with the publicly known cost of crewed patrols, a calculator for area and duration, and the figure in the capability statement and briefings.

Defense buyers decide on capability per dollar; a concrete number turns "affordable" into something a program office can cite.

• Comparisons challenged

  Cite every source and show assumptions.

• Your websiteUS Navy 4th Fleet mission page: 10 Voyager USVs in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (2023-2024); "12,500 sq nm Total area covered", "116,000 Unique contacts detected" and "$4.25 Cost per sq nm per day".Source
• Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the menu says "more than 2 million nautical miles sailed, and 60,000 days at sea" while the hero band says "3m NAUTICAL MILES SAILED" and "70K DAYS AT SEA". Six capabilities (MDA, undersea detection, ocean mapping, sub-bottom profiling, METOC, kinetics and effectors), four platforms (Spectre, Surveyor, Voyager, Explorer) and one call to action, "Contact Us".Source
• HiringVice President, Marketing (Washington DC, posted October 9, 2026), on the "DC Capture team" reporting to the Chief Government Relations Officer: "realigning our marketing apparatus to Washington, DC" and moving Saildrone "from early-stage growth to defense market maturity". Responsibilities include the "Defense Heavyweight Pivot", campaign plans aligned "with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives" to "influence long-cycle federal acquisitions", "regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers", and "measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns". Travel 20-30% for "industry events, government briefings".Source
• Your websiteFully Managed page: Mission-as-a-Service where "Saildrone owns, operates, and services the vehicles", letting customers "deploy assets rapidly without long procurement cycles or capital outlay", with data delivered "into existing COPs". The page does not say how an agency orders it.Source

Lead /eu-en with European proof: Baltic operations with NATO, local production, Danish flag registration, European contacts and a European how-to-buy section. Keep US-only news on the US site and feature it as references, not headlines.

European buyers look for sovereignty and local presence; showing them European work first answers that directly.

• Two sites to maintain

  Share components, differ only in proof.

• Your websitePress release, August 18, 2026: EU headquarters opened in Copenhagen and "three separate European build contracts in Norway, Poland, and the Netherlands"; later releases cover Danish flag registration for the USVs (September 22) and Baltic Sea surveillance with NATO (September 21). The /eu-en section also mirrors US-only news such as the New England Coast Guard contract.Source
• Your websiteSitemap (952 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 478 under /eu-en (a European mirror with correct hreflang), 198 news posts, 71 scientific papers, 30 mission pages. No page on how to buy or contract with Saildrone (registrations, NAICS codes, contract vehicles, teaming); no newsletter or email signup. Of the 30 mission pages about four are defense or security (CBP border monitoring, Task Force 59, a USCG MDA demonstration, US Navy 4th Fleet); the rest are science, fisheries and mapping surveys, many from 2018-2023.Source
• HiringEvery Saildrone post: manufacturing and R&D in Alameda, "business development and sales operations in Washington, DC, and deployment hubs in Europe and the Middle East". Open now: Mission Manager - Middle East (Abu Dhabi, posted September 16, 2026), a Mission Manager in Alameda (September 10) and a Director, Fleet Service (September 30) for "maximum operational uptime" of the fleet.Source

Write mission pages for the cleared 2026 programs in the 4th Fleet format (problem, solution, three outcome numbers), order the missions page by defense mission set, and move science surveys into a separate science collection.

Mission pages with outcomes are what evaluators and staffers read; a defense-first library matches the pivot the VP is hired to lead.

• Customer approval delays

  Start release requests early.

• Your websiteSitemap (952 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 478 under /eu-en (a European mirror with correct hreflang), 198 news posts, 71 scientific papers, 30 mission pages. No page on how to buy or contract with Saildrone (registrations, NAICS codes, contract vehicles, teaming); no newsletter or email signup. Of the 30 mission pages about four are defense or security (CBP border monitoring, Task Force 59, a USCG MDA demonstration, US Navy 4th Fleet); the rest are science, fisheries and mapping surveys, many from 2018-2023.Source
• Your websiteUS Navy 4th Fleet mission page: 10 Voyager USVs in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (2023-2024); "12,500 sq nm Total area covered", "116,000 Unique contacts detected" and "$4.25 Cost per sq nm per day".Source
• Your websitePress release, September 15, 2026: a $10 million NAVOCEANO task order for bathymetric survey in the Atlantic with Saildrone Surveyor, running through most of 2027; "only 28.7%* of the world's oceans mapped to modern standards".Source
• Your websiteNews, October 22, 2026: the US Coast Guard awarded "an $8.5 million extension" for maritime domain awareness around New England fisheries through spring 2027; from June through August the fleet "sailed more than 19,000 nautical miles and generated thousands of contact detections".Source
• Your websiteRecent proof: Spectre unveiled July 24, 2026 for anti-submarine warfare and strike; a RIMPAC exercise with the US Navy and Lockheed Martin (September 2); seafloor mapping with Woolpert near the Mariana Islands (October 16); the first production Surveyor was launched at Austal USA (2024, About page).Source
• HiringVice President, Marketing (Washington DC, posted October 9, 2026), on the "DC Capture team" reporting to the Chief Government Relations Officer: "realigning our marketing apparatus to Washington, DC" and moving Saildrone "from early-stage growth to defense market maturity". Responsibilities include the "Defense Heavyweight Pivot", campaign plans aligned "with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives" to "influence long-cycle federal acquisitions", "regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers", and "measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns". Travel 20-30% for "industry events, government briefings".Source

With BD, list the 25 target offices (NAVOCEANO, 4th and 5th Fleet, Coast Guard districts, CBP, NOAA, allied navies). For each, build a one-page brief with the matching mission proof, a briefing offer and targeted LinkedIn and trade-press placements around their budget and recompete dates.

Focused campaigns put proof in front of the few people who decide, at the time they are planning.

• Looks like lobbying

  Keep content factual and coordinated with Government Relations.

• HiringVice President, Marketing (Washington DC, posted October 9, 2026), on the "DC Capture team" reporting to the Chief Government Relations Officer: "realigning our marketing apparatus to Washington, DC" and moving Saildrone "from early-stage growth to defense market maturity". Responsibilities include the "Defense Heavyweight Pivot", campaign plans aligned "with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives" to "influence long-cycle federal acquisitions", "regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers", and "measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns". Travel 20-30% for "industry events, government briefings".Source
• HiringAccount Manager, Ocean Mapping (Washington DC, posted August 26, 2026): business development with "US Government agencies, with a particular focus on the US Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)"; "track and anticipate forthcoming call orders, task instructions, and long-term USG requirements"; lead bid development and "position the company for continued capture and follow-on work".Source
• Your websitePress release, September 15, 2026: a $10 million NAVOCEANO task order for bathymetric survey in the Atlantic with Saildrone Surveyor, running through most of 2027; "only 28.7%* of the world's oceans mapped to modern standards".Source
• Your websiteNews, October 22, 2026: the US Coast Guard awarded "an $8.5 million extension" for maritime domain awareness around New England fisheries through spring 2027; from June through August the fleet "sailed more than 19,000 nautical miles and generated thousands of contact detections".Source

Publish a partners and teaming page: payload and integration partners, production partners, how to propose a teaming agreement, and the API for integration. Feature each partnership with a short case.

Primes win many of the large programs; being easy to team with brings Saildrone into bids it would not lead.

• Partner sensitivities

  Name only approved partners.

• HiringDirector of Contracting (Washington DC, posted August 17, 2026), reporting to the VP of Business Development: negotiates "subcontracting, teaming, consortium, and contract modifications with International, Commercial, and US Government clients" and manages "Saildrone's relationships with customer procurement authorities".Source
• Your websiteRecent proof: Spectre unveiled July 24, 2026 for anti-submarine warfare and strike; a RIMPAC exercise with the US Navy and Lockheed Martin (September 2); seafloor mapping with Woolpert near the Mariana Islands (October 16); the first production Surveyor was launched at Austal USA (2024, About page).Source
• Your websiteAbout page: "2.5m NAUTICAL MILES SAILED" and "65K DAYS AT SEA"; a history timeline (Copenhagen headquarters 2025, Spectre design 2026); backers include BOND, XN, Standard Investments, Emerson Collective, Crowley Maritime Corporation and Lux Capital.Source
• Your websiteAPI page: "secure, structured access" to ISR, MDA, METOC and telemetry data with "Stable, schema-driven formats for rapid integration with defense C2 and intelligence systems"; there are no public documentation pages, sample schemas or integration partner listings.Source

Publish an unclassified developer page: data model overview, sample messages for AIS, radar contacts and METOC with synthetic data, supported formats and how access is granted. Offer a sandbox with a historic science dataset.

Lower integration doubt shortens evaluation, and integrators become advocates inside programs.

• Revealing too much

  Security review every sample.

• Your websiteAPI page: "secure, structured access" to ISR, MDA, METOC and telemetry data with "Stable, schema-driven formats for rapid integration with defense C2 and intelligence systems"; there are no public documentation pages, sample schemas or integration partner listings.Source
• HiringProduct Manager, Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) (open, updated October 14, 2026): owns "our end-to-end ISR product stack - from onboard sensor strategy to data fusion, APIs, and user-facing mission tools" and "translates real-world watch floor workflows into clear product requirements".Source
• Your websiteScience and community pages kept on the defense site: Antarctica curriculum lesson plans and access modules, a Carbon Impact Report, 71 scientific papers, and the Explorer page for "weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and operational planning" with "up to 365 continuous days at sea".Source

Pick the shows that matter (for example Sea-Air-Space and the main hydrographic shows), publish an events page with a meeting booking form, invite target offices in advance and follow up within 48 hours with the relevant mission page.

Pre-booked meetings turn travel into pipeline, and the events page captures demand from attendees.

• Costly shows with low return

  Rank by meetings booked.

• HiringVice President, Marketing (Washington DC, posted October 9, 2026), on the "DC Capture team" reporting to the Chief Government Relations Officer: "realigning our marketing apparatus to Washington, DC" and moving Saildrone "from early-stage growth to defense market maturity". Responsibilities include the "Defense Heavyweight Pivot", campaign plans aligned "with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives" to "influence long-cycle federal acquisitions", "regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers", and "measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns". Travel 20-30% for "industry events, government briefings".Source
• Your websiteContact page: one form for every request, with "What's your inquiry about?" options Defense & Security (US/Global), Ocean Mapping & Metoc Data (US/Global), Defense & Security / Mapping (Europe), Careers, Media Inquiry, Active Mission Support and General Question. No field for agency, mission type, timeline or contract vehicle.Source
• Your websiteMedia Coverage page: Breaking Defense on the Navy renewing the counter-drug mission; "The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Economist, Hydro International, Inc."; Fox Weather on NOAA's Saildrone El Nino mission.Source

At each mission's midpoint and end, deliver a results report (area, uptime, contacts, cost per area) in the customer's format, plus a short public version if cleared. Track renewal dates and start the follow-on conversation six months before.

Making the customer's internal case easy is the cheapest way to win the next order.

• Data sensitivity

  Customer decides what is shared.

• HiringAccount Manager, Ocean Mapping (Washington DC, posted August 26, 2026): business development with "US Government agencies, with a particular focus on the US Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)"; "track and anticipate forthcoming call orders, task instructions, and long-term USG requirements"; lead bid development and "position the company for continued capture and follow-on work".Source
• Your websiteNews, October 22, 2026: the US Coast Guard awarded "an $8.5 million extension" for maritime domain awareness around New England fisheries through spring 2027; from June through August the fleet "sailed more than 19,000 nautical miles and generated thousands of contact detections".Source
• Your websitePress release, September 15, 2026: a $10 million NAVOCEANO task order for bathymetric survey in the Atlantic with Saildrone Surveyor, running through most of 2027; "only 28.7%* of the world's oceans mapped to modern standards".Source
• Your websiteUS Navy 4th Fleet mission page: 10 Voyager USVs in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (2023-2024); "12,500 sq nm Total area covered", "116,000 Unique contacts detected" and "$4.25 Cost per sq nm per day".Source

Publish a short policy series: what persistent unmanned coverage costs per area, how hybrid fleets free crewed ships, lessons from Task Force 59 and 4th Fleet. Offer briefings to committee staff and think tanks, and place op-eds in defense press.

Budget decisions follow arguments staff can repeat; owning the clear version of the argument helps the whole category and Saildrone first.

• Seen as self-serving

  Use public data and cite it.

• HiringVice President, Marketing (Washington DC, posted October 9, 2026), on the "DC Capture team" reporting to the Chief Government Relations Officer: "realigning our marketing apparatus to Washington, DC" and moving Saildrone "from early-stage growth to defense market maturity". Responsibilities include the "Defense Heavyweight Pivot", campaign plans aligned "with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives" to "influence long-cycle federal acquisitions", "regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers", and "measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns". Travel 20-30% for "industry events, government briefings".Source
• Your websiteUS Navy 4th Fleet mission page: 10 Voyager USVs in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (2023-2024); "12,500 sq nm Total area covered", "116,000 Unique contacts detected" and "$4.25 Cost per sq nm per day".Source
• Your websiteSitemap (952 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 478 under /eu-en (a European mirror with correct hreflang), 198 news posts, 71 scientific papers, 30 mission pages. No page on how to buy or contract with Saildrone (registrations, NAICS codes, contract vehicles, teaming); no newsletter or email signup. Of the 30 mission pages about four are defense or security (CBP border monitoring, Task Force 59, a USCG MDA demonstration, US Navy 4th Fleet); the rest are science, fisheries and mapping surveys, many from 2018-2023.Source
• Your websiteMedia Coverage page: Breaking Defense on the Navy renewing the counter-drug mission; "The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Economist, Hydro International, Inc."; Fox Weather on NOAA's Saildrone El Nino mission.Source

Add a signup to news, mission and how-to-buy pages, and send a short quarterly update: new missions, outcome numbers, platform news and upcoming events. Segment defense, mapping and science readers.

An owned list keeps Saildrone in front of long-cycle buyers between meetings at almost no cost.

• Low signups

  Offer the capability statement as a reason to subscribe.

• Your websiteSitemap (952 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 478 under /eu-en (a European mirror with correct hreflang), 198 news posts, 71 scientific papers, 30 mission pages. No page on how to buy or contract with Saildrone (registrations, NAICS codes, contract vehicles, teaming); no newsletter or email signup. Of the 30 mission pages about four are defense or security (CBP border monitoring, Task Force 59, a USCG MDA demonstration, US Navy 4th Fleet); the rest are science, fisheries and mapping surveys, many from 2018-2023.Source
• Your websiteNews, October 22, 2026: the US Coast Guard awarded "an $8.5 million extension" for maritime domain awareness around New England fisheries through spring 2027; from June through August the fleet "sailed more than 19,000 nautical miles and generated thousands of contact detections".Source
• Your websitePress release, August 18, 2026: EU headquarters opened in Copenhagen and "three separate European build contracts in Norway, Poland, and the Netherlands"; later releases cover Danish flag registration for the USVs (September 22) and Baltic Sea surveillance with NATO (September 21). The /eu-en section also mirrors US-only news such as the New England Coast Guard contract.Source
• Your websiteRecent proof: Spectre unveiled July 24, 2026 for anti-submarine warfare and strike; a RIMPAC exercise with the US Navy and Lockheed Martin (September 2); seafloor mapping with Woolpert near the Mariana Islands (October 16); the first production Surveyor was launched at Austal USA (2024, About page).Source

When cleared, add a Middle East page: regional contacts, the missions Saildrone supports there in public terms, local support and how regional navies can buy. Keep the content within what partners approve.

Regional buyers look for local presence; a page signals commitment and gives the hub a place to send leads.

• Sensitive partnerships

  Publish only approved content.

• HiringEvery Saildrone post: manufacturing and R&D in Alameda, "business development and sales operations in Washington, DC, and deployment hubs in Europe and the Middle East". Open now: Mission Manager - Middle East (Abu Dhabi, posted September 16, 2026), a Mission Manager in Alameda (September 10) and a Director, Fleet Service (September 30) for "maximum operational uptime" of the fleet.Source
• Your websiteAbout page: "2.5m NAUTICAL MILES SAILED" and "65K DAYS AT SEA"; a history timeline (Copenhagen headquarters 2025, Spectre design 2026); backers include BOND, XN, Standard Investments, Emerson Collective, Crowley Maritime Corporation and Lux Capital.Source
• Your websiteSitemap (952 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 478 under /eu-en (a European mirror with correct hreflang), 198 news posts, 71 scientific papers, 30 mission pages. No page on how to buy or contract with Saildrone (registrations, NAICS codes, contract vehicles, teaming); no newsletter or email signup. Of the 30 mission pages about four are defense or security (CBP border monitoring, Task Force 59, a USCG MDA demonstration, US Navy 4th Fleet); the rest are science, fisheries and mapping surveys, many from 2018-2023.Source

Publish short engineering stories tied to missions (perception in the Baltic, autonomy through a Southern Ocean storm), a page per team with open roles, and share them through engineers' own channels.

Faster hiring is growth for a company whose order book depends on building and operating more vehicles.

• Security review

  Clear all mission details.

• Hiring41 open roles on Saildrone's Greenhouse board on October 22, 2026, most in engineering (perception, autonomy, machine learning, simulation, cloud) and manufacturing, plus a Technical Recruiter (posted September 21, 2026). The careers section has four employee testimonial pages.Source
• Your websiteRecent proof: Spectre unveiled July 24, 2026 for anti-submarine warfare and strike; a RIMPAC exercise with the US Navy and Lockheed Martin (September 2); seafloor mapping with Woolpert near the Mariana Islands (October 16); the first production Surveyor was launched at Austal USA (2024, About page).Source
• Your websitePress release, August 18, 2026: EU headquarters opened in Copenhagen and "three separate European build contracts in Norway, Poland, and the Netherlands"; later releases cover Danish flag registration for the USVs (September 22) and Baltic Sea surveillance with NATO (September 21). The /eu-en section also mirrors US-only news such as the New England Coast Guard contract.Source

Define three to five packages by mission (MDA patrol, seafloor survey, METOC season), each with area, duration, data delivered, typical cost range and how to order; publish them on the Fully Managed and how-to-buy pages.

Defined offers shorten scoping and make Saildrone easier to fund in a budget line.

• Prices anchor too low

  Publish ranges with assumptions.

• Your websiteFully Managed page: Mission-as-a-Service where "Saildrone owns, operates, and services the vehicles", letting customers "deploy assets rapidly without long procurement cycles or capital outlay", with data delivered "into existing COPs". The page does not say how an agency orders it.Source
• Your websiteUS Navy 4th Fleet mission page: 10 Voyager USVs in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (2023-2024); "12,500 sq nm Total area covered", "116,000 Unique contacts detected" and "$4.25 Cost per sq nm per day".Source
• HiringVice President, Marketing (Washington DC, posted October 9, 2026), on the "DC Capture team" reporting to the Chief Government Relations Officer: "realigning our marketing apparatus to Washington, DC" and moving Saildrone "from early-stage growth to defense market maturity". Responsibilities include the "Defense Heavyweight Pivot", campaign plans aligned "with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives" to "influence long-cycle federal acquisitions", "regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers", and "measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns". Travel 20-30% for "industry events, government briefings".Source
• HiringDirector of Contracting (Washington DC, posted August 17, 2026), reporting to the VP of Business Development: negotiates "subcontracting, teaming, consortium, and contract modifications with International, Commercial, and US Government clients" and manages "Saildrone's relationships with customer procurement authorities".Source

Publish a yearly report with aggregated, non-sensitive findings (illegal fishing patterns, ocean mapping progress against the 28.7% figure, METOC extremes), launched with press and briefings.

Original data earns coverage and makes Saildrone the reference in the category.

• Sensitive data

  Aggregate, delay and clear everything.

• Your websiteUS Navy 4th Fleet mission page: 10 Voyager USVs in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (2023-2024); "12,500 sq nm Total area covered", "116,000 Unique contacts detected" and "$4.25 Cost per sq nm per day".Source
• Your websitePress release, September 15, 2026: a $10 million NAVOCEANO task order for bathymetric survey in the Atlantic with Saildrone Surveyor, running through most of 2027; "only 28.7%* of the world's oceans mapped to modern standards".Source
• Your websiteMedia Coverage page: Breaking Defense on the Navy renewing the counter-drug mission; "The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Economist, Hydro International, Inc."; Fox Weather on NOAA's Saildrone El Nino mission.Source
• Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the menu says "more than 2 million nautical miles sailed, and 60,000 days at sea" while the hero band says "3m NAUTICAL MILES SAILED" and "70K DAYS AT SEA". Six capabilities (MDA, undersea detection, ocean mapping, sub-bottom profiling, METOC, kinetics and effectors), four platforms (Spectre, Surveyor, Voyager, Explorer) and one call to action, "Contact Us".Source

Publish an interactive map of released survey areas with square miles mapped by region, linked to mission pages and the Seabed 2030 goal, and offer national hydrographic offices a briefing on their gaps.

Mapping buyers think in areas and gaps; showing coverage invites them to fill theirs.

• Customer data

  Show only released areas.

• Your websitePress release, September 15, 2026: a $10 million NAVOCEANO task order for bathymetric survey in the Atlantic with Saildrone Surveyor, running through most of 2027; "only 28.7%* of the world's oceans mapped to modern standards".Source
• Your websiteSitemap (952 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 478 under /eu-en (a European mirror with correct hreflang), 198 news posts, 71 scientific papers, 30 mission pages. No page on how to buy or contract with Saildrone (registrations, NAICS codes, contract vehicles, teaming); no newsletter or email signup. Of the 30 mission pages about four are defense or security (CBP border monitoring, Task Force 59, a USCG MDA demonstration, US Navy 4th Fleet); the rest are science, fisheries and mapping surveys, many from 2018-2023.Source
• HiringAccount Manager, Ocean Mapping (Washington DC, posted August 26, 2026): business development with "US Government agencies, with a particular focus on the US Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)"; "track and anticipate forthcoming call orders, task instructions, and long-term USG requirements"; lead bid development and "position the company for continued capture and follow-on work".Source
• Your websiteRecent proof: Spectre unveiled July 24, 2026 for anti-submarine warfare and strike; a RIMPAC exercise with the US Navy and Lockheed Martin (September 2); seafloor mapping with Woolpert near the Mariana Islands (October 16); the first production Surveyor was launched at Austal USA (2024, About page).Source

Either refresh it as a showcase of Explorer METOC data with a link to the METOC capability, or retire it with a clear notice and remove the footer links.

Every public product reflects on the core brand; one decision removes a mixed signal.

• Upsetting loyal users

  Give notice and alternatives.

• App StoreThe "Weather: Saildrone Forecast" iOS app is rated 4.41 from 546 ratings and was last updated November 5, 2020; the site footer still links "Global Weather Forecast" and a Saildrone Forecast FAQ.Source
• Your websiteScience and community pages kept on the defense site: Antarctica curriculum lesson plans and access modules, a Carbon Impact Report, 71 scientific papers, and the Explorer page for "weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and operational planning" with "up to 365 continuous days at sea".Source
• Your websiteHomepage (checked October 22, 2026): the menu says "more than 2 million nautical miles sailed, and 60,000 days at sea" while the hero band says "3m NAUTICAL MILES SAILED" and "70K DAYS AT SEA". Six capabilities (MDA, undersea detection, ocean mapping, sub-bottom profiling, METOC, kinetics and effectors), four platforms (Spectre, Surveyor, Voyager, Explorer) and one call to action, "Contact Us".Source

Create a clearly labeled Ocean Science hub (papers, science missions, Explorer, curriculum) with its own navigation entry, so defense pages stay focused and science buyers have one place to go.

Separating audiences sharpens the defense pivot without losing the science reputation.

• Lost search traffic

  Keep URLs or redirect.

• Your websiteScience and community pages kept on the defense site: Antarctica curriculum lesson plans and access modules, a Carbon Impact Report, 71 scientific papers, and the Explorer page for "weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and operational planning" with "up to 365 continuous days at sea".Source
• Your websiteSitemap (952 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 478 under /eu-en (a European mirror with correct hreflang), 198 news posts, 71 scientific papers, 30 mission pages. No page on how to buy or contract with Saildrone (registrations, NAICS codes, contract vehicles, teaming); no newsletter or email signup. Of the 30 mission pages about four are defense or security (CBP border monitoring, Task Force 59, a USCG MDA demonstration, US Navy 4th Fleet); the rest are science, fisheries and mapping surveys, many from 2018-2023.Source
• HiringVice President, Marketing (Washington DC, posted October 9, 2026), on the "DC Capture team" reporting to the Chief Government Relations Officer: "realigning our marketing apparatus to Washington, DC" and moving Saildrone "from early-stage growth to defense market maturity". Responsibilities include the "Defense Heavyweight Pivot", campaign plans aligned "with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives" to "influence long-cycle federal acquisitions", "regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers", and "measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns". Travel 20-30% for "industry events, government briefings".Source

Tag each paper by capability (METOC, mapping, acoustics) and claim (accuracy, endurance), summarize each in two lines and link the right papers from every capability page and the capability statement.

Technical evaluators trust peer-reviewed evidence; making it findable turns it into proof.

• Old papers

  Show the date and platform.

• Your websiteScience and community pages kept on the defense site: Antarctica curriculum lesson plans and access modules, a Carbon Impact Report, 71 scientific papers, and the Explorer page for "weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and operational planning" with "up to 365 continuous days at sea".Source
• Competitor researchRivals' own homepages: Saronic, "the most advanced and capable autonomous vessels in the maritime domain"; XOCEAN, USVs providing "turnkey ocean data" for seabed mapping and monitoring; HavocAI, "all-domain collaborative autonomy software".See the research Source
• Your websiteSitemap (952 URLs, checked October 22, 2026): 478 under /eu-en (a European mirror with correct hreflang), 198 news posts, 71 scientific papers, 30 mission pages. No page on how to buy or contract with Saildrone (registrations, NAICS codes, contract vehicles, teaming); no newsletter or email signup. Of the 30 mission pages about four are defense or security (CBP border monitoring, Task Force 59, a USCG MDA demonstration, US Navy 4th Fleet); the rest are science, fisheries and mapping surveys, many from 2018-2023.Source