Saronic Marauder production contract Navy MUSV

Saronic Technologies has been awarded a production Other Transaction agreement for 10 Marauder autonomous vessels. The U.S. Navy executed the firm-fixed-price award under the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 4022(f), which allows the Defense Department to transition successful prototypes into production. This contract marks a key step beyond prototype testing toward operational deployment and is part of a broader Navy plan to procure 30 Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels following Phase I at-sea testing. The vessels have an average procurement cost of $40 million each.

Marauder's proven capabilities

Saronic Technologies completed a rigorous evaluation of its 180-foot Marauder autonomous ship. The vessel demonstrated robust performance during eight days of continuous, around-the-clock operations. It executed more than 140 test scenarios without a failure.

Every scenario was conducted with the same platform now under contract. The trials were completed back-to-back in continuous operations. They included autonomously tracking and maneuvering around various vessels.

The trials also included passive-perception tests. In these scenarios, Marauder detected, tracked, and followed other vessels using only passive onboard sensors, without active radar. Saronic stated the evaluation used the same platform now covered by the Navy’s production contract.

Production timeline and scale

The first MUSVs are scheduled to be delivered to the Navy prior to the end of Fiscal Year 2027. Each Other Transaction agreement includes the procurement of 10 vessels. Saronic has flipped its third Marauder hull, with several more moving through the production line.

The company's manager, Dino Mavrookas, said the company can build at that pace because autonomy, software, hardware, and the production process were designed side-by-side as one integrated system. Marauder went from initial design to on-the-water in under a year. Saronic Technologies is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Strategic context and future steps

The MUSV Marketplace is a Navy acquisition initiative designed to rapidly field unmanned surface vessels using mature, commercial-ready technology. This award builds on Saronic’s existing production contract with the U.S. Navy for Corsair, its 24-foot autonomous surface vessel.

The Navy will proceed with at-sea testing of the Marauder as part of Phase I demonstrations. Successful results from those tests will lead to follow-on production awards.