US Shipbuilder Saronic Launches Second Navy-Picked Marauder Drone Ship and Cuts Build Hours by 8%

Saronic Technologies launched its second Marauder medium unmanned surface vessel at its Franklin, Louisiana, yard and reported on November 3 that the hull was operating under its own power. The company said the second vessel took 8% fewer labor hours to build than the first and is targeting an annual rate of 20 Marauders once the yard reaches full production. The milestone follows a U.S. Navy fixed-price production agreement for ten Marauders under the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel Marketplace, part of a planned 30-vessel purchase with initial deliveries expected before the end of fiscal 2027.