Fincantieri has announced it will build Spectre, a new class of high-speed multi-mission unmanned surface vessel (USV) developed by Saildrone, through its US subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group. The collaboration was announced at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space exhibition at National Harbor, Maryland.

At approximately 52m in length, with a displacement of around 250tonnes and a top speed of 30knots, Spectre is the largest, fastest and most capable Saildrone platform to date. Optimised for anti-submarine warfare operations, the vessel offers extreme endurance and an ultra-quiet acoustic signature, while remaining adaptable to alternative mission configurations, including higher-speed and low-observable operational profiles.

Construction will take place at Fincantieri’s shipyards in Wisconsin, applying the group’s established industrialised shipbuilding methods and serial production expertise in advanced aluminium vessels to a next-generation autonomous platform. The programme is designed to deliver production continuity and industrial robustness alongside technological performance, reflecting growing demand from naval forces for autonomous platforms capable of being deployed in numbers. Spectre is engineered to integrate a wide range of mission systems and payloads.

Chartwell and Japanese shipbuilders sign wind deal

Chartwell Marine has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cooperative Association of Japan Shipbuilders, which represents 59 Japanese shipyards, to support the development and local construction of crew transfer vessels and service operation vessels for Japan’s offshore wind industry.

The agreement, signed in Tokyo in March, builds on collaboration between the two organisations that began in 2023, including a Nippon Foundation-supported programme that introduced Chartwell’s crew transfer and service operation vessel designs to the Japanese market. The association will act as a bridge between domestic shipowners, operators and yards, and Chartwell, facilitating knowledge exchange to support vessels in meeting project requirements and local content rules.

Hiroyuki Nishida, managing director of the association, said: “By working together, we can help support the development of locally constructed vessels and contribute to the long-term growth of the industry.”

Andy Page, managing director of Chartwell Marine, said: “We look forward to continuing to work closely with the association and Japanese stakeholders as the offshore wind sector scales up.”

	HISTORIC TUG TO BECOME LUXURY YACHT   AURELIA Design, based in Amsterdam, is restoring the 1956 Wijsmuller Titan tug as a long-range yacht, retaining the original hull form while replacing conventional propulsion with a fully emission-free system currently under development.

These articles appeared in Insights, TNA May/June 2026