U.S. defence start-up Saronic Technologies has announced its Marauder Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) is ready to start sea trials.
The first hull of its new 180ft drone boat has been completed at its shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana and has hit the water for the first time, the firm announced at the weekend.
Co-founder and CEO Dino Mavrookas commented: “I’m incredibly proud of our team for achieving this milestone. Designing, building, and launching an entire new class of ships in under a year is a feat the American shipbuilding industry hasn’t seen in generations.”
He added: “It’s what happens when design, production, and manufacturing are fully integrated under one roof. With multiple hulls already underway and our shipyard continuing to grow, this is what revitalizing American shipbuilding actually looks like — autonomous ships delivered at speed and scale, with the production capacity to back it up.”
The Marauder MUSV has a top speed of more than 25 knots; cruising at 12 knots gives it an estimated range of up to 5,400 nautical miles with a 25-tonne load.
It has a maximum 150-tonne payload capacity, and can be configured to accommodate up to four 40-foot or eight 20-foot ISO containers.
It can either sail fully autonomously or under remote supervision, and is suitable for a range of missions including persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and resupply.
The firm is continuing to expand the facilities at its Franklin shipyard and claims that by the end of the year, it will be able to build up to 20 Marauder MUSVs a year there.
It has three more boats underway and has already completed construction of a second hull, which is being currently being fitted with mechanical, electrical, and autonomy systems.
- You can read more details on the Saronic website