Gulf Craft acquired by autonomous vessel innovator Saronic

Saronic will produce its next gen AUSV Marauder at newly-acquired shipard

Austin, Texas, based autonomous vessel start up Saronic has acquired Franklin, La.-based shipbuilder Gulf Craft. It says that, with the acquisition, it gains a strategically located shipyard on the Gulf Coast that will serve as the prototyping and production hub for its medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) fleet,

Saronic notes that Gulf Craft has a 60-year history of developing manned and unmanned ships for defense and commercial customers and that the deal gives it the infrastructure and skilled workforce needed to develop, rapidly iterate, and scale production of a new class of medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSVs) to bolster America’s maritime dominance and national security.

Marauder, Saronic’s new 150-foot medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV), will be developed and produced at scale at the Franklin, La, shipyard.

Back in February, Saronic closed $600 million of funding for its Series C round that took the company’s to valuation to $4 billion. The company is investing in the U.S. shipbuilding infrastructure and plans to build Port Alpha, a next-generation shipyard capable of delivering new classes of autonomous ships at the speed and scale needed to protect and defend the maritime domain.

“Today marks a significant milestone in Saronic’s expansion into autonomous shipbuilding and lays the foundation for our vision of our larger, next-generation shipyard, Port Alpha,” said Saronic cofounder and CEO Dino Mavrookas, a Navy SEAL veteran. “We don’t wait—we build for what our customers need, when they need it. While we actively search for a home for Port Alpha, this acquisition gives us the immediate capacity to meet urgent customer needs for larger autonomous vessels and the flexibility to scale to address emerging commercial and defense applications of these advanced systems.”

“The investment of Saronic in Louisiana’s shipbuilding industry will grow our economy, create high-quality jobs, and bolster America’s maritime strength,” said Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R.-La). “By revitalizing our industrial base right here in Louisiana, we are taking a critical step toward building our own supply chains and countering foreign competitors like China. All of this is essential to our national security. We are grateful to Saronic for their commitment to this industry and our great state.”

Marauder: The next generation of autonomous ships

Marauder is a 150-foot MUSV purpose-built to support a wide range of missions for the U.S., its allies, and commercial customers. With a payload capacity of 40 metric tons, the autonomous ship is designed to travel up to 3,500 nautical miles or loiter for 30+ days, depending on mission requirements. Marauder, says Saronic, will provide a comprehensive capability at a fraction of the cost of legacy manned solutions.

Marauder is designed to be fully unmanned and will integrate the same autonomy stack used across Saronic’s existing family of ASVs. The vessel incorporates Saronic’s vertically integrated approach, disciplined engineering philosophy, and strong domestic supplier network.

The Gulf Craft acquisition adds nearly 100 acres to Saronic’s footprint, supporting both immediate MUSV development and production as well as capacity for significant expansion. Saronic plans to invest more than $250 million directly into the shipyard, which will encompass large facility upgrades that will enable it to apply a first-principles approach to shipbuilding. This includes modernizing infrastructure, acquiring new machinery, and updating the facilities while focusing on building a production system engineered for speed, scalability, and quality. These upgrades will support a rapid capacity ramp-up, enabling Saronic to deliver up to 50 unmanned ships per year.

Saronic has retained Gulf Craft’s experienced workforce and expects to create more than 500 new jobs over the next 3-4 years. In addition to bringing on skilled shipbuilders, welders, and electricians, Saronic anticipates creating new roles for engineers, technologists, and naval architects to develop and scale production of its MUSVs.

“Louisiana plays a vital role in the U.S. shipbuilding industry, and with this acquisition, we are excited to be a part of the region’s continued industry revitalization,” said Mavrookas. “The shipyard’s location, deep expertise, and turnkey facilities are ideally suited to allow Saronic to expeditiously develop, test, and produce its first MUSV model and advance our mission to deliver the full range of ASVs needed to support the U.S. Navy’s hybrid fleet.”

Saronic says the acquisition of Gulf Craft delivers immediate production capacity and establishes a foundational pillar for the company’s growing shipbuilding enterprise. As part of its long-term vision, Saronic intends to invest over $2.5 billion to develop Port Alpha into the world’s most advanced shipyard, designed to produce hundreds of unmanned vessels annually and create thousands of new jobs.

By investing in next-generation infrastructure, advanced production models, and a skilled workforce, says Saronic, it is helping to drive the resurgence of a historically vital industry that underpins American maritime dominance and national security. Critically, it says, these efforts mark a meaningful step toward narrowing the shipbuilding gap with China.