SAND
Gallery
Overview
Italian multi-role naval drone from Fincantieri that can act as a mothership for underwater vehicles.
SAND (Surface Advanced Naval Drone) is the uncrewed surface vessel of Fincantieri NexTech, the technology arm of Italy's largest shipbuilder. Developed by its subsidiary IDS, it is a multi-purpose naval drone for search and rescue, mine countermeasures, and anti-submarine missions, and an enhanced version can act as a mothership that carries and deploys autonomous underwater vehicles. Fincantieri quotes 48 hours of endurance at 12 knots or 72 hours at 8 knots. SAND took part in NATO's REPMUS 2023 exercise in Portugal alongside other allied uncrewed systems, and Fincantieri has since agreed with NextGeo to evolve the design into a USV for offshore survey customers.
Primary Roles
Notes
Naval News reports 48 hours endurance at 12 kn and 72 hours at 8 kn; length and top speed are unpublished. Developed by IDS, part of Fincantieri NexTech; a 2025 agreement with NextGeo aims to derive an offshore-survey USV from SAND.
