Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
2 min of reading 
0 comments 
Saronic Acquires Gulf Craft Shipyard and Will Invest US$ 250 Million to Manufacture Autonomous Ships, Starting with the Fully Unmanned Marauder Model.
With an investment of over US$ 250 million, the American company Saronic is taking a bold step towards the future of shipbuilding by acquiring the traditional Gulf Craft shipyard and announcing the large-scale manufacturing of its fleet of unmanned vessels.
Marauder: A Robust and Versatile Autonomous Ship
Saronic, a reference in autonomous navigation technology in the United States, announced a strategic acquisition that promises to accelerate the production of smart vessels: the purchase of Gulf Craft, one of the oldest and most respected shipyards in Louisiana.
The site will be entirely transformed into an innovation center for the construction of autonomous ships, with a focus on the Marauder — the flagship of the company’s new phase.
-
With a capacity for 9,100 vehicles, solar panels on deck, and liquefied natural gas engines, the Höegh Aurora is the world’s largest car carrier, and the ship that can embark an entire city’s worth of cars in a single voyage will transition to zero-carbon ammonia by 2027, becoming the first large cargo ship in history to completely abandon fossil fuels.
-
Portonave is investing R$ 2 billion to modernize the Port of Navegantes and accommodate ships up to 400 meters, but the project depends on the federal government deepening the channel from 14 to 17 meters, a concession that is at the TCU.
-
With 195 meters and 19,235 gross tons, the REV Ocean will be the world’s largest yacht when it is delivered at the end of 2026, and this Norwegian vessel, which took more than eight years to build, is not just a billionaire’s luxury, but a floating scientific laboratory funded by the same man who built his fortune by fishing and drilling the ocean he now tries to save.
-
In 2026, a container ship on the Oslo-Hamburg route will abandon diesel and use fertilizer as fuel: the Yara Eyde ushers in the era of green ammonia in maritime transport.
The Marauder, the first model to be produced at Saronic’s new plant, is an unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) that is 150 feet long.
Designed to meet missions ranging from national security to commercial operations, the ship stands out with a payload capacity of up to 40 metric tons and operational autonomy of up to 3,500 nautical miles or more than 30 days in standby mode.
Based on a proven autonomous architecture, the Marauder is fully unmanned and incorporates disciplined engineering with strong vertical integration — a hallmark of Saronic.
According to the company, the vessel delivers robust performance at a fraction of the cost of traditional manned ships, representing a significant disruption in the industry.
Shipyard Will Be Modernized for Large-Scale Production
The acquired shipyard will have its structure completely modernized, focusing on increasing production scale and ensuring efficiency and quality.
Saronic aims to transform the space into a production hub capable of delivering up to 50 autonomous ships per year, meeting both governmental and commercial demands.
The acquired area spans nearly 100 acres and will undergo structural renovations, acquisition of new equipment, and expansion of infrastructure, all in an optimized productive model for agility and scalability.
Saronic Aims for Global Leadership in Autonomous Shipbuilding
With this move, Saronic consolidates its presence on the Gulf Coast and reinforces its positioning as one of the leaders in the autonomous vessel segment.
The modernized shipyard will function as a prototyping and production hub, bringing together cutting-edge technologies and a strategic domestic supply chain to ensure maximum integration.
Saronic’s bet is clear: to transform innovation into industrial scale, offering modern, accessible, and highly efficient naval solutions for the challenges of the 21st century.
Be the first to react!