The US Navy has awarded defense technology firm Saronic a $392 million production contract for its Corsair autonomous surface vessel, marking a significant step in accelerating the service’s adoption of unmanned maritime platforms. The agreement includes an upfront advance of roughly $200 million, with full production expected to be completed in less than a year.
The award aligns with broader Pentagon efforts to streamline procurement processes and rapidly field next-generation autonomous systems. Navy officials said the Corsair ASV is designed to extend the reach of crewed naval vessels while reducing operational risk to sailors, supporting missions across contested maritime environments.
Originally developed by Saronic for the Department of Defense’s Replicator initiative, the Corsair is intended to support the deployment of large numbers of affordable, attritable unmanned platforms. The Replicator program aims to deter potential aggression in the Indo-Pacific by enabling massed, distributed maritime capabilities at speed and scale.
Measuring 24 feet in length, the Corsair is Saronic’s fourth-largest autonomous vessel, following the Marauder, Cipher, and Mirage platforms. The ASV can operate at speeds exceeding 35 knots, travel up to 1,000 nautical miles without refueling, and carry payloads of up to 1,000 pounds, supporting missions ranging from maritime domain awareness to the delivery of kinetic and non-kinetic effects.
