WASHINGTON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin ( LMT )

is investing $50 million in sea drone maker Saildrone to help

equip its biggest surveillance drones with missiles, marking the

first time the long-distance autonomous ships will carry

high-powered missiles aboard.

The weaponization plan announced on Wednesday comes as the

Pentagon seeks to counter China's growing naval power in the

Pacific and applies lessons learned from Ukraine's effective use

of explosive-laden sea drones against Russian warships in the

Black Sea.

Under the deal, Saildrone's 72-foot-long (22 m) "Surveyor"

ship - a scientific data and intelligence-gathering autonomous

vessel powered by wind, diesel, and solar - will be modified to

carry Lockheed's JAGM Quad Launcher missile system and anti-ship

missiles, according to a joint statement.

Lockheed's investment will also establish collaborative

systems integration teams to accelerate design and manufacturing

of larger Saildrone platforms capable of carrying longer-range

Tomahawk missiles and submarine-detecting towed sonar arrays.

The companies plan to conduct live-fire demonstrations on

the water in 2026.

Saildrone vessels have been deployed by the U.S. Navy since

2021 on surveillance missions and are currently operational

"24/7/365 alongside American Sailors in combat theaters around

the world," according to the statement. The company has logged

over 2 million nautical miles on customer missions.

With $5 billion in funds appropriated for uncrewed ships and

maritime robots in the "Big Beautiful Bill", many firms are

vying for a piece of the action.

Saildrone will maintain shipbuilding responsibilities while

Lockheed serves as lead mission integrator. Development work

will create jobs at Austal USA on the Gulf of Mexico coast,

where Saildrone's larger systems are produced, though the

companies said the work could eventually scale to other U.S.

shipyards.