2026 NOAA-Uncrewed Surface Vehicle
Atlantic Hurricane Mission

Left image: Saildrone USV on the water. Right image: Four Oshen USVs on the water.

Saildrone Explorer USVs (left) and low-cost small Oshen USVs (C-Star, right) (Courtesy of Saildrone, Inc. and Oshen) (Please do not download and redistribute)

The 2026 NOAA Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (USV) Atlantic hurricane observation mission includes 10 Saildrone Explorers and 13 Oshen C-Stars in the western Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of America (see deployment map below). The Saildrone Explorers, augmented to sustain hurricane force winds and sea states, have been fully tested in the highly successful 2021-2024 hurricane missions, while Oshen C-Stars demonstrated their capability during the 2025 hurricane observation mission. New for the 2026 mission is the exploration of coordinated operations of a larger USV fleet composed of highly capable USVs and low-cost small USVs to provide better coverage of different sections of tropical cyclones during their development, improving our understanding and forecasting of hurricanes. Keep up with the progress of the 2026 mission on its blog.

Objectives

(1) Measure near-surface atmospheric and ocean parameters to calculate energy and momentum fluxes between the atmosphere and ocean outside and within hurricanes.

(2) Synchronize the deployments of USVs and other uncrewed systems (ocean gliders, aerial drones) and conventional assets (moored buoys, drifters, airborne atmospheric dropsondes and oceanic profilers) to measure the air-sea transition zone (upper ocean, air-sea interface, and marine atmospheric boundary layer).

(3) Transmit data in real time to operational weather prediction centers to improve atmosphere-ocean initial conditions in forecast models.

(4) Transmit data in real time to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to assist hurricane forecasters in their efforts to assess hurricane strength and inform the public.

(5) Apply the observations to understand how air-sea interaction affects hurricane intensity and to advance hurricane prediction models.

Deployments

USV observations cover a broad area from the Gulf of America to the western tropical Atlantic Ocean. The designated observing locations (marked by dots in the map below) have high chances of hurricane occurrence. Observations are sent to worldwide weather prediction centers in real time for their operational forecasts and to NOAA National Hurricane Center (NHC) to assist hurricane forecasters assessing hurricane strength and informing the public. Data are released for public use in near real time. This project also involves partnerships with NOAA's Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) of the National Weather Service and NOAA's National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service (NESDIS).

Map of Caribbean region marked with planned locations of USVs

USV deployments during the 2026 hurricane season. Black circles are Saildrone Explorers with standard sensors; gray circles indicate Explorers with standard sensors plus air-sea CO2 sensors. Pink circles show planned locations of Oshen C-Stars with standard sensors; purple circles are C-Stars with standard sensors plus sea surface salinity. Colored shading indicates the climatological probability of sustained tropical storm force wind speed (34 kt) occurrence during August-October. Green lines outline exclusive economic zones (EEZs) for which clearance for operation of all USVs was granted. Black lines indicate EEZs without clearance for Saildrone Explorers and/or Oshen C-Stars.

NOAA Mission Team:

Gregory Foltz, NOAA AOML (Co-Lead)
Dongxiao Zhang, NOAA PMEL/University of Washington (Co-Lead)
Chidong Zhang, NOAA PMEL
Lev Looney, NOAA AOML/University of Miami
Andy Chiodi, NOAA PMEL/University of Washington
Edoardo Mazza, NOAA PMEL/University of Washington
Nan-Hsun Chi, NOAA PMEL/University of Washington
Eugene Burger, NOAA PMEL
Ellen Koukel, NOAA PMEL/University of Washington
Catherine Edwards, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia
Donglai Gong, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary
Jun Zhang, NOAA AOML/University of Miami
Edward (Ned) Cokelet, NOAA PMEL (retired)
Robert West, NOAA AOML/University of Miami
Kandaga Pujiana, NOAA AOML/University of Miami
Matthieu Le Henaff, NOAA AOML/University of Miami
Kathleen E. Bailey, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System
Joaquin Trinanes, NOAA AOML/University of Santiago, Spain
Hyun-Sook Kim, NOAA AOML

This mission is supported by NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) Uncrewed Systems Operations Center, with additional support from NOAA/PMEL and NOAA/AOML, and in collaboration with Saildrone, Inc. and Oshen.