Saronic Opens Gulfport Site as Autonomous Vessel Production Ramps Up

Saronic Technologies is expanding its operations to Gulfport, Mississippi, where it will conduct on-water testing and commissioning of its Marauder autonomous surface vessel at the Port of Gulfport.

The company announced a new 30,000-plus-square-foot facility at the port that includes warehouse and office space, along with direct waterfront access. The site will be staffed by mission operations and commissioning teams responsible for taking vessels through final checks and on-water trials before delivery.

Saronic said its first Marauder arrived in Gulfport in mid-July, less than a year after the vessel was designed and launched. The company said the vessel has already logged hundreds of hours on the water, with testing planned for more than 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

As production increases, additional Marauder vessels being built at Saronic’s shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana, are expected to move through Gulfport for testing and commissioning. The company said the new site will serve as a critical link between production and delivery as it scales output.

At an event marking the expansion, Saronic was joined by Chairman Roger Wicker and representatives from Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, and Rep. Mike Ezell, as well as leaders from the Port of Gulfport and the University of Southern Mississippi.

"Gulfport has developed an incredible ecosystem of partners across industry, academia, and government to advance the future of maritime systems," CEO Dino Mavrookas said, calling the region "an ideal location" for scaling Marauder testing and commissioning.

Port of Gulfport CEO Jon Nass said the expansion validates the port’s efforts to establish the Gulf Coast as a hub for uncrewed maritime technology.

"The Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise was built to anchor the uncrewed maritime industry on the Gulf Coast, and Saronic’s decision to test and commission Marauder at Gulfport is the strongest signal yet that the strategy is working," Nass said.

Wicker said the company’s expansion reflects the broader pace of development in autonomous maritime technology. "Thanks to innovators like Saronic, unmanned technology is advancing faster, ships are built more efficiently, and our warfighters are better equipped for the challenges ahead,” he added.

Photo courtesy of Saronic’s Press Kit