Autonomous shipbuilder Saronic Technologies has raised $1.75 billion in funding and ended up being valued at $9.25 billion, double what it was a year ago. The company builds several types of unmanned marine vessels and is expanding.
Saronic, which also collaborates with the US Navy, plans to use the funds to expand its supply chain and shipyards and reach production of more than 20 ships a year by 2027, including at a new shipyard in Texas, writes CNBC.
“We are seeing a real shift in demand towards unmanned systems that can be produced on a large scale and at a fraction of the cost of traditional ships,” says CEO Dino Mavrookas. The head of the company also says that the design is completely rethought in autonomous sea vessels, compared to conventional ones that have a human crew.
Saronic produces six types of autonomous surface vessels, including a two-meter-long craft called the Spyglass, as well as the 40-ton Marauder model. The ships are designed for surveillance and reconnaissance, for maritime patrol and for the protection of ports and fleets. Ships are cheaper than classic ones and can operate for a long time without stopping.
The company's main shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana, is undergoing expansion with a $300 million investment. The company wants production at that site to be five times higher a year from now.
The Pentagon has a huge need for autonomous ships, both surface and underwater, as traditional shipbuilders face delays, rising costs and a shortage of skilled labor, Bloomberg writes. Operations in Iran – where mines are placed in the Strait of Hormuz – show that affordable and autonomous ships will be essential in future military operations.
