Saronic Technologies is investing $300 million to expand its Franklin, Louisiana shipyard, significantly increasing its capacity to produce autonomous surface vessels. The expansion is supported by state and local partners, including Louisiana Economic Development and St. Mary Parish. Construction began last month and will add over 300,000 square feet of new production space. Completion is expected by late 2026, with expanded operations beginning in early 2027. A dedicated assembly line for large platforms—including the 180-foot Marauder—will be part of the upgrade. Saronic is collaborating with JacobsWyper Architects, P2S, KPFF, JE Dunn, and Alberici to execute the project. As the company broadens its footprint in autonomous maritime systems, it continues advancing complementary initiatives tied to US defense priorities. In October, Saronic and NVIDIA launched a partnership focused on integrating AI, advanced simulation, and high-performance computing into unmanned vessels. The collaboration aims to accelerate development cycles for autonomous platforms designed to operate with limited human intervention. Over the past year, Saronic has introduced several new unmanned vessels: the 24-foot Corsair, its largest platform so far, and two smaller systems—the 14-foot Cipher and 6-foot Spyglass. All three models are tailored to meet mission requirements set by the US Navy and other defense partners.
