Saronic announced the acquisition of Gulf Craft, a Louisiana-based shipbuilder, to advance its autonomous shipbuilding operations, according to the company's release.
The acquisition provides Saronic with a Gulf Coast shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana, which will serve as the prototyping and production hub for its medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) fleet, starting with the 150-foot Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) named Marauder.
Gulf Craft, with 60 years of experience in constructing manned and unmanned ships for defense and commercial clients, supplies Saronic with infrastructure and a skilled workforce to develop and scale production of MUSVs.
The acquisition encompasses nearly 100 acres, enabling immediate MUSV development and future expansion. Saronic plans to invest $250 million to upgrade the shipyard, including modernizing infrastructure, acquiring new machinery, and updating facilities to support a production system designed for speed, scalability, and quality.
These enhancements are expected to allow production of up to 50 unmanned ships annually. Saronic has retained Gulf Craft’s workforce and anticipates creating 500 new jobs over the next 3-4 years, including roles for shipbuilders, welders, electricians, engineers, technologists, and naval architects.
“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 CEO Dino Mavrookas. “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 Marauder, a 150-foot MUSV, is designed to support missions for the U.S., its allies, and commercial customers. It has a payload capacity of 40 metric tons and can travel 3,500 nautical miles or loiter for over 30 days.
The vessel integrates Saronic’s autonomy stack, used across its existing ASV family, and employs a vertically integrated approach with a domestic supplier network.
The acquisition aligns with Saronic’s long-term plan to invest $2.5 billion in Port Alpha, a shipyard intended to produce hundreds of unmanned vessels annually and create thousands of jobs.
Saronic, based in Austin, Texas, is a defense technology company founded in 2022, specializing in the development of autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) for naval and commercial applications. The company focuses on building unmanned maritime systems. In February 2025, Saronic raised $600 million in a Series C funding round, valuing the company at $4 billion. It has developed ASVs like the Corsair and plans to establish Port Alpha, a next-generation shipyard for large-scale autonomous ship production.
Gulf Craft, located in Franklin, Louisiana, is a shipbuilder with over 60 years of experience in constructing manned and unmanned vessels for commercial and defense purposes.