Groundbreaking air-sea drone maker moves to St. Pete

The world’s first underwater and airborne drone has a new St. Petersburg home uniquely suited to explore once-unfathomable use cases.

SubUAS quietly opened an outpost in the fall at the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub. The startup’s engineers re-imagined every aspect of drone technology to build a system that seamlessly transitions from air to water – and vice versa – regardless of rough seas, high winds and other challenging conditions.

Contract manager Andy Bennett noted that many drones fly, and some can swim, but “air is really thin, and water is really thick.” Creating propellers that can efficiently slice through both environments “is the secret sauce.”

“That’s a hard thing to do,” Bennett said of the balancing act. “There’s a lot of seemingly simple things put together that make it special.”

The Naviator can carry customizable payloads.

Dr. F. Javier Diaz, CEO of SubUAS, co-founded the New Jersey-based company in 2016. He is also a professor of mechanical engineering at Rutgers University, where he helped develop technology for an innovative drone platform – the Naviator.

The Naviator was named the Unmanned Surface Vehicle/Unmanned Underwater Vehicle of the Year at the 2025 Innovation Vanguard Awards in May. SubUAS has received over $36 million in U.S. Department of Defense contracts.

Other recent milestones include dual-domain offshore wind farm inspections, infrastructure assessments with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and “partner deployments in Europe and the Middle East,” according to the SubUAS website. Bennett said the startup is “not white-labeling or rebranding somebody else’s product.”

SubUAS owns its headquarters and manufacturing facility in New Jersey and has now opened a second office in St. Petersburg. “So, it’s a growth company – we’re doing great things,” Bennett said.

“They’re a U.S. company owned by U.S. citizens that are making products in the U.S.,” he continued. “That is a wonderful story.”

SubUAS must ensure its drones are light enough to fly through the air without compromising resistance to harsh saltwater environments. The customizable Naviator has a maximum flight speed of 40 mph, a 10-mile range and can carry a nearly 100-pound payload.

The Naviator can operate at 1,000 feet below the surface, has a 10-mile communication range and can feature high-definition cameras, infrared sensors, imaging sonars, echosounders, edge computing capabilities and a host of other electronic systems, while remaining underwater for two hours. It can also fly through the air for 45 minutes.

“A really big propeller, a really big blade, would be super efficient,” Bennett explained. “But it’s so heavy that it would take so much energy and battery power to spin it. So again, you’ve got to find that sweet spot.”

Use cases include search and rescue operations, infrastructure inspections, port reconnaissance, dive training and sport fishing. The war in Ukraine has also highlighted the increasing importance of drones on today’s battlefields.

Bennet noted the Naviator could emerge from the water, complete a mission, return to the sea and disappear. SubUAS does not manufacture munitions. However, clients can add their preferred payloads after purchasing the drone.

Working out of the Hub will help SubUAS and its partners identify new uses. Bennett, a Tampa native, believes the region is home to an “amazing amount of innovation, and the St. Petersburg Innovation District’s facility is an “outstanding example of that.”

He said organizations cannot be “all things to all people.” Partnerships foster success, and the Hub’s leadership has cultivated a “group of companies that play nicely in the sandbox with each other and others.”

For example, he said SubUAS could potentially augment a Saildrone mission. The former company could also, theoretically, land a Naviator on the former’s uncrewed surface vessel to receive a solar-powered charge.

Bennett has discussed ocean mapping with the neighboring USF College of Marine Science. U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, known for its search and rescue proficiency, is a short walk away. He believes the Naviator could multiply operational effectiveness without using expensive helicopters or additional personnel.

“This is a concept that is really cool to talk about,” Bennett said of the drone’s capabilities. “But when you see it, your mind just starts racing with different ideas. Your brain starts going, ‘Oh wow, I could use that in all sorts of places.’”

The Innovation District will formally introduce SubUAS to the community at the Jan. 28 State of Science and Innovation event at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. Bennett is a featured speaker.

When asked if SubUAS would remain in St. Petersburg as it grows, Bennett said, “Absolutely.” He called creating a home at the Hub a “no-brainer.”

“Stick a pin in a map of where the Hub is,” he added. “You have the Coast Guard within arm’s distance. You have MacDill (Air Force Base) with all the services – you’ve got Special Operations Command and Central Command. So yeah, we’re going to be here for a while.”