Saronic has unveiled its “Marauder” autonomous surface vessel following its acquisition of the Louisiana-based shipbuilder Gulf Craft to fast-track entry into autonomous shipbuilding.
The Gulf Coast shipyard provides immediate capacity and workforce for Saronic to use as a prototyping and production hub for its medium unmanned surface vessel fleet.
Apart from supporting its production capacity, the acquisition also “lays the foundation for our vision of our larger, next-generation shipyard, Port Alpha,” said Saronic CEO Dino Mavrookas.
With a planned investment of more than $250 million, the company intends to modernize the shipyard’s facilities, acquire new machinery, and build an efficient production system to deliver up to 50 unmanned vessels annually.
Meet the newest member of Saronic’s family of Autonomous Surface Vessels. Bayou-born. Mission-ready. Marauder.
At 150-feet, Marauder is a medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) that will integrate the same proven autonomy stack used across Saronic’s existing ASVs. This new vessel… pic.twitter.com/A51DKOSl2t
— Saronic (@Saronic) April 16, 2025
The Marauder
Designed to perform diverse missions for the US, allies, and commercial customers, the Marauder is a fully autonomous vessel that will integrate the same autonomy stack across Saronic’s similar vessels.
It measures 150 feet (45 meters) long with a 40-metric-ton (88,184-pound) payload capacity, cruising at a speed of 12 knots (22 kilometers/13 miles per hour).
For rapid maneuvers, the vessel can achieve a burst speed of more than 18 knots (33 kilometers/20 miles per hour).
Depending on the mission, the Marauder can travel beyond 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 kilometers/4,027 miles) or loiter for more than 30 days.
“Marauder will provide a comprehensive capability at a fraction of the cost of legacy manned solutions,” according to Saronic.
