Saildrone taps retired 3-star admiral John Mustin as president

Vice Adm. John Mustin salutes the sideboys during Officer Candidate School (OCS) Class 07-24 Graduation Ceremony. (Photo by Chief Petty Officer Joshua Montes.)

SEA AIR SPACE 2025 — Unmanned maritime systems manufacturer Saildrone, announced today it has appointed John Mustin, the retired three-star admiral and former chief of Navy reserve, as its president.

“John Mustin brings a truly unique blend of naval operational expertise and commercial experience to the company,” said Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO at Saildrone, in a statement. “As naval demand for Saildrone services grows exponentially, John will deliver the leadership firepower I need to grow both the team and the defense business, ensuring our products continue to meet the demands of high-end naval warfare.”

Mustin served in the Navy for 34 years and as the vice of commander of US Fleet Forces prior to his four-year stint as the head of the Navy’s reserve force, which ended in September 2024.

“I’m thrilled to join the Saildrone team at this critical moment for global maritime security characterized by a rapidly evolving geo-political environment,” said Mustin. “Having spent my career focused on naval operations and technology innovation, I recognize Saildrone’s capabilities are transformational to delivering naval strength to our warfighters at a time when our nation’s shipbuilding capacity is floundering. We, and our allies and partners, need high-capability platforms, delivered at scale, immediately. Saildrone defined the category and is the only operationally proven USV technology that is ready to scale today.”

Saildrone primarily manufacturers and operates unmanned surface vessels that conduct unclassified intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions for the US Navy as well as a number of civilian federal agencies.

Separate from Mustin’s announcement as the company’s president, Saildrone also said today it had successfully integrated Thales Australia’s Blue Sentry thin-line towed array with its own Surveyor drone “creating a groundbreaking system for autonomous long-endurance undersea MDA.”

“The project, funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), marks a significant leap forward in persistent, real-time, undersea surveillance,” according to a company statement.