Bombardier’s new concept could redefine marine patrol and border defense

Could a Sea-Doo-shaped drone redefine border surveillance?

That was the question posed by Canadian innovator and venture capitalist Charles Bombardier on his LinkedIn page April 16, when he shared his vision of the Sea-Drone 88, a stealth personal watercraft that would patrol logistically difficult waterways.

Bombardier, whose grandfather invented the first snowmobile and started the company that spun into what is now BRP, Inc., says the Sea-Drone 88 (or SD-88) is a concept for an autonomous, electric-powered personal watercraft designed to patrol sensitive rivers, coastal zones, and Arctic waters. 

With growing attention towards national security and border patrol, Bombardier says many of today’s tools are ill-suited for persistent, low-profile patrols.

The Sea-Drone 88 would be based on a high-performance platform, such as the BRP Sea-Doo RXT-X, powered by a 325 hp BRP-Rotax marine engine. It would be stripped of seats and handlebars and reengineered for autonomy.

It would feature an electric or hybrid propulsion for silent operation, stabilized HD and thermal imaging cameras, satellite communication, impact-resistant Kevlar hull, towing gear and modular payload bay.

He proposes that units could be deployed from mobile trailers, ships, or shore stations and navigate pre-mapped patrol routes using onboard AI. They would send real-time feeds to command centers and operate day or night, adjusting behavior based on activity.

The autonomous SD-88 would still be overseen through secure dashboards by remote operators, and the interface would allow remote control if needed. It would also include collision avoidance and geofencing, and be compact enough for it to be launched and retrieved by two people with minimal equipment.

In addition to its core surveillance roles, SD 88 could be outfitted with mission-specific modules for higher-risk deployments. Examples could include: Non-lethal deterrents such as flare or smoke launchers; electronic warfare tools for localized jamming or interference; remote-operated micro turrets, offering light payloads; and laser target designators for coordination with aerial or ground assets.

And in today’s political climate, Bombardier says platforms like SD 88 could support new modes of collaboration between allied nations.

“Sea-Drone 88 could become a flexible tool within shared security frameworks,” Bombardier writes. “Its deployment along waterways like the Rio Grande, Chiapas rivers, the St. Lawrence, and even the Bering Strait, could support both sovereignty enforcement and humanitarian missions. Arctic patrols, conservation monitoring, and cross-border coordination could all benefit from a common autonomous platform.”

This conceptual idea was originally released with the help of industrial designer Matt Betteker and first published in The Globe and Mail on Oct. 22, 2014.