BROWNSVILLE, Texas — In a major boost to the Rio Grande Valley’s growing defense and maritime manufacturing sector, autonomous marine technology company Saronic Technologies has been selected by the U.S. Navy to construct next-generation Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700-class vessels.
The production will take place at Port Alpha, Saronic’s new next-generation shipyard currently being developed at the Port of Brownsville.
The award is part of a broader, competitive multi-shipyard initiative announced by the U.S. Department of the Navy. Under the agreement—executed as a firm fixed-price Prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement—Saronic joins Conrad Shipyard, LLC of Orange, Texas, and Master Boat Builders, Inc. of Coden, Alabama, in building prototypes for the Navy’s critical littoral transport fleet.
The total initial construction obligation across the three shipyards is $280,521,389.
For Saronic, the contract marks a significant milestone as the build will serve as one of the flagship production programs at Port Alpha. Production of the LCU vessels in Brownsville is slated to begin in 2028, with initial deliveries expected to start in 2029.
“This award reflects the kind of partnership we set out to build with the Navy, where speed, cost discipline, and a modern industrial base reinforce each other,” said Dino Mavrookas, co-founder and CEO of Saronic.
Mavrookas emphasized that the new facility at the Port of Brownsville is designed to bridge the gap between traditional defense needs and futuristic autonomous capabilities.
“Port Alpha is designed to produce large autonomous surface vessels alongside currently manned ships, supporting the Navy’s hybrid fleet strategy while adding surge capacity to the broader U.S. maritime industrial base,” Mavrookas added. “Understanding the urgency of the moment, Saronic is helping address the critical backlog facing America’s shipyards with one of Port Alpha’s first builds. We are tackling the quick production of a vital manned vessel the Navy needs today as we ramp to meet the needs of an autonomous maritime future.”
The LCU 1700-class vessels are designed as direct replacements for the Navy’s aging LCU 1610 and 1650 classes, some of which have been in active service for more than 50 years.
Serving as vital workhorses for the Marine Corps and Navy, these heavy-lift utility craft transport troops, military vehicles, and heavy cargo from amphibious ships offshore directly onto beaches or unimproved coastlines without requiring port infrastructure or piers.
The upgraded craft feature a 170-ton payload capacity and an operational range of approximately 1,200 nautical miles, making them essential for amphibious operations, tactical resupply, and humanitarian disaster-response missions.
According to military officials, the acquisition approach was funded through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and leverages prototype authorities under 10 U.S.C. § 4022 to accelerate delivery and strengthen domestic manufacturing pipelines.
“By selecting three distinct shipyards, the Navy is expanding its shipbuilding industrial base capacity and building a resilient ‘second source’ of supply for landing craft,” said William F. Mahan, performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. “Other Transaction prototype authority allows the Navy to move at the speed of relevance.”
Under the terms of the Navy agreement, each selected shipyard will construct two or three prototype craft while refining their respective manufacturing processes to prepare for full high-rate production. The Navy noted that validating these technical data packages through physical fabrication reduces operational risk before scaling up the program.
The selection of Saronic's Port Alpha site further cements the Port of Brownsville’s position as an emerging hub for advanced industrial manufacturing and defense production along the U.S.–Mexico border.
Saronic’s software-defined, highly repeatable manufacturing approach is tailored to streamline ship construction. The LCU program builds on Saronic’s expanding portfolio with the Navy, which includes a contract valued at over $400 million for Corsair, its 24-foot autonomous surface vessel, and the development of Marauder, an 180-foot autonomous vessel selected for testing on the Navy’s MUSV Marketplace.
By anchoring its flagship Port Alpha shipyard at the Port of Brownsville, Saronic aims to deliver rapid turnaround times on both manned and unmanned surface vessels, bolstering both national defense infrastructure and the South Texas economy.
