Texas-based Saronic Technologies wants to deliver autonomous ships at speed and scale with the massive investment to expand its Franklin, Louisiana, shipyard.
The firm, which began operations in April this year with the ambitions of redefining the building of unmanned surface vehicles, reports that the expanded facility will enable it to increase the production of autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) while significantly growing its workforce. The expansion project will add more than 300,000 square feet of new production capacity and create 1,500 new jobs.
The new facility, which is expected to strengthen the Gulf Coast’s role in the future of U.S. maritime innovation, is slated for completion by the end of 2026, with expanded operations coming online a year later. The project will encompass the construction of three new slips, warehouse expansion, and the development of a dedicated production line for large-vessel assembly, namely Marauder, the firm’s 180-foot autonomous ship.
Saronic is currently constructing two Marauder vessels at the Franklin facility, having progressed from initial design to full vessel development in just six months. At 150 feet, Marauder is a large ASV that has a payload capacity of up to 40 metric tonnes and can travel up to 3,500 nautical miles or loiter for more than 30 days. The vessel is designed to support a range of missions for the U.S. Navy, its allies, and commercial customers. The firm expects that construction of the first vessel will be complete by the end of the year.
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