Saronic Technologies has launched its first 180-foot Marauder medium unmanned surface vessel at its Franklin, Louisiana shipyard, moving the design to water trials in less than a year, reported Saint Petersburg's PortNews.

The Austin-based company stated that the Marauder is designed for long-range naval and commercial missions and can operate fully autonomously or under remote human supervision.

The vessel boasts a top speed exceeding 25 knots and a range of 5,400 nautical miles. It has the capacity to carry 150 tonnes of payload, which includes four 40-foot ISO containers or eight 20-foot ISO containers.

Saronic indicated that the platform can support logistics, research, maritime domain awareness, and persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The Franklin yard is expected to produce up to 20 Marauders annually once expanded capacity is completed by the end of 2026.

Work on the second hull began after it was flipped in March 2026, while the third and fourth hulls are currently under construction.

The launch coincides with the US Navy selecting Saronic as one of seven firms to advance to at-sea demonstrations under its MUSV Marketplace programme. Successful companies will receive $15 million and qualify for follow-on production. Testing is scheduled to start next month and conclude by October 2026.

Saronic Technologies develops autonomous surface vessels for US and allied naval and maritime forces.