Saronic is building its first two ASVs as it moves to expand capacity with a major shipyard expansion
The project will add more than 300,000 square feet of production space, three new construction slips, expanded warehousing, and a dedicated assembly line for large vessels. Upon completion by the end of 2026, with full operations starting in 2027, the facility will create approximately 1,500 new jobs in areas including welding, fabrication, engineering, and systems integration.
Currently, Saronic is building two Marauder-class autonomous ships at the Franklin yard. The latest 180-foot design carries up to 150 metric tonnes of payload, accommodates four 40-foot or eight 20-foot containers, offers a range of 5,400 nautical miles, and can sustain operations at sea for over 30 days. Cruise speed is 12 knots with a maximum of 25 knots. The first vessel is scheduled for completion by year-end.
The company, which acquired Louisiana-based Gulf Craft earlier this year to accelerate its entry into autonomous shipbuilding, began operations only in April and has progressed from concept to full-scale construction in under nine months.
"Our expanded shipyard will enable us to deliver autonomous ships at unprecedented speed and scale. Together with our next-generation Port Alpha shipyard, we're establishing the modern blueprint for American shipbuilding, an integrated ecosystem that connects autonomy innovation with large-scale production capacity to strengthen and sustain America's maritime leadership for generations to come," said Dino Mavrookas, Saronic Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer.
The Franklin expansion will complement Saronic's planned Port Alpha facility, positioned as one of the most advanced shipyards in the United States for high-volume production of large autonomous vessels. The combined infrastructure aims to support rapid delivery of next-generation unmanned surface platforms to the U.S. Navy, allied navies, and commercial customers.
