The Navy’s Newest Tech Toy Built Right Here in Louisiana

Being full of bayous, lakes, and rivers, Louisiana has always appreciated a good boat. Now, Louisiana will be home to a shipyard where the coolest new boats are going to be built.

Saronic Technologies has just bought a shipyard in Louisiana, and they are building a high-tech, indestructible, and fast boat that doesn't even need a single sailor on board.

History repeats itself in Louisiana. The Saronic Technologies Marauder, being built in Louisiana, is a reminder that Louisiana played a vital role in D-Day when the innovative Higgins boats were made right here in the Bayou State.

What Is A MUSV?

The Marauder is a Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle, a long way of saying it's a drone boat. Unmanned Surface Vehicles seem like a very recent idea, but it was back in World War I that remote-controlled boats were made for war.

Saronic's new shipyard in Louisiana will be where the first Marauders are built. Sitting at 150 feet long with flat metal panels on the side, the vessels almost look like a Cybertruck, but cooler. The ships will be capable of carrying 40 metric tons.

Bayou Built Boats Are a Tradition

Going back to the 1800s, Louisiana has an odd tradition of having an important history with boats. During the Civil War, the USS Alexandria was built in Plaquemine, Louisiana. The Alexandria was made for the Confederate army, but a year after it was built, it was captured by the Union and manned by them as a blockade ship until the end of the war.

The Higgins boats used during D-Day to storm the beaches of Normandy were all made here in Louisiana as well. Now we have the Navy's newest USV being built in the same state over 80 years later.