The U.S. Navy has awarded Saronic Technologies, Austin, Texas, an agreement to build 10 Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (MUSV) based on the company's 180' Marauder autonomous ship.
The award is part of a Navy plan to procure 30 MUSVs following completion of Phase I at-sea testing. Galliano Marine Services, Cut Off, La., and HII, Newport News, Va., also received production Other Transaction Authority agreements for 10 vessels each.
The firm-fixed-price award to Saronic was made under 10 U.S.C. § 4022(f), which allows the Defense Department to move successfully completed prototype projects into follow-on production.
The Navy said the vessels have an average procurement cost of $40 million each. The first MUSVs are scheduled for delivery before the end of fiscal year 2027.
Saronic's award follows testing of its Marauder under the Navy's MUSV Marketplace, an acquisition initiative intended to evaluate commercially mature unmanned vessel technology and move qualifying platforms toward production.
Saronic was one of seven companies selected in June to advance to at-sea testing. According to the company, Marauder subsequently completed eight days of continuous, around-the-clock operations involving more than 140 test scenarios without a failure.
Testing included autonomous tracking and maneuvering around other vessels as well as passive-perception trials. During those scenarios, Marauder was required to detect, track, and follow vessels using its passive onboard sensors without relying on active radar.
The Navy said Phase I testing more broadly evaluated vessels' ability to perceive their surrounding maritime environment, navigate autonomously in accordance with International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, and conduct long-duration missions.
“Marauder went from initial design to on-the-water in under a year, and this evaluation demonstrated that the platform holds up under the Navy’s own toughest testing,” Dino Mavrookas, Saronic CEO and co-founder, said in a statement.
Mavrookas said the company has flipped its third Marauder hull, with additional vessels moving through production.
“We can build at that pace because we designed the autonomy, software, hardware, and the production process side-by-side, as one system, rather than bolting them together after the fact,” he said.
The Navy released a Phase II Integration and Testing Call for Solutions on Sept. 23 as it seeks additional platforms and capabilities for its Maritime Marketplace.
Leidos, PAC MAR, and Sea Machines also completed their prototype projects under the Phase I effort. Each will receive a $15 million award and join the Drones.mil-hosted Maritime Marketplace, making them eligible for potential follow-on production agreements.
The Marauder award adds to Saronic's existing Navy work. The company also holds a production contract for Corsair, its 24' autonomous surface vessel, and was recently awarded a contract to build Landing Craft Utility vessels at Port Alpha, its shipyard in Brownsville, Texas.
