The first boats to be built at Saronic’s new Port Alpha Shipyard in Brownsville, Texas will be Landing Craft Utility (LCU) vessels for the Marine Corps.
Saronic Technologies has targeted 2028 as the opening date for the Port Alpha shipyard, its $3 billion next-generation manufacturing facility currently under construction.
Although its core focus will be producing Saronic’s own uncrewed platforms, this week Saronic announced it had been awarded an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract by the U.S. Navy to construct Landing Craft Utility (LCU) vessels.
The firm fixed-price agreement of undisclosed value will see the firm build the U.S. Navy logistics vessels, used for amphibious operations, resupply, and disaster-response missions, moving troops, vehicles, and cargo from ships offshore directly onto shorelines.
The 42-metre LCU 1700 Class ships have a 170-ton payload capacity, and a range of roughly 1,200 nautical miles. They feature both a bow ramp and a stern gate allowing vehicles to drive straight through or enabling multiple LCUs to link bow-to-stern.
Saronic expects to begin LCU production at Port Alpha in 2028, with the first deliveries beginning in 2029.
The firm’s co-founder and CEO Dino Mavrookas commented: “This award reflects the kind of partnership we set out to build with the Navy, where speed, cost discipline, and a modern industrial base reinforce each other.
“Port Alpha is designed to produce large autonomous surface vessels alongside currently manned ships, supporting the Navy’s hybrid fleet strategy while adding surge capacity to the broader U.S. maritime industrial base.
“Understanding the urgency of the moment, Saronic is helping address the critical backlog facing America’s shipyards with one of Port Alpha’s first builds. We are tackling the quick production of a vital manned vessel the Navy needs today as we ramp to meet the needs of an autonomous maritime future.”
The 835-acre Port Alpha site, which Saronic claims will create up to 10,000 jobs, has scope for expansion to nearly 4,400 acres, and the initial facility will be capable of producing vessels of up to 850ft. Future growth could enable ship sizes in excess of 1,200 ft.
- You can read more details on Saronic’s media release
