Saronic lays keel of first Marauder USV design
Concept graphic of Saronic's Marauder USV. The keel for the first Marauder was laid on 22 August 2025 in Louisiana, US. (Saronic Technologies)
US-based unmanned surface vehicle (USV) builder Saronic Technologies held a keel-laying ceremony for its first Marauder USV at its shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana, on 22 August 2025.
The milestone marks the official start of production for Saronic's Marauder series, which Saronic dubbed a Medium USV (MUSV), due to its size. It will have a length of 45.7 m (15 ft) and be capable of a burst speed of 18 kt with a cruise speed of 12 kt. The Marauder will have a range of 3,500 n miles and be capable of loitering for 30 days. It will also be able to embark a payload of 40 tonnes, enabling two 40 ft or four 20 ft ISO containers to be carried on the aft deck.
The Franklin shipyard, formerly operated by Gulf Craft, was acquired by Saronic earlier in 2025 to enable prototyping and rapid production of Marauder and other USVs. Saronic also announced plans to invest more than USD250 million in the Franklin facility to enable enhancements that “will support a rapid production ramp-up, ultimately enabling Saronic to deliver up to 50 autonomous vessels per year”. Saronic calls its craft Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs). Since acquisition, Saronic has said that it has doubled the workforce at the shipyard, invested in infrastructure, and commenced modernisation work to enable a long-term plan for high-volume production. Saronic is also seeking a location for a separate, larger, advanced shipyard, dubbed Port Alpha.
As previously reported by Janes
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