Denmark has deployed four uncrewed robotic sailboats, called “Voyagers,” for a three-month trial to boost maritime surveillance in the Baltic and North Seas amid rising tensions since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Built by U.S. firm Saildrone, these 10-meter, wind- and solar-powered vessels are equipped with advanced sensors and AI to monitor threats like sabotage, smuggling, and undersea cable damage.

The trial supports NATO’s push for a layered maritime surveillance system that combines drones, ships, satellites, and seabed sensors for cost-effective, constant monitoring of maritime threats, the Associated Press has reported.

Written by B.C. Begley