"Not Seen Since World War II": New Texas Shipyard To Hire 10,000 Workers And Mass-Produce Drone Boats

Building on our coverage of autonomous maritime warfare this week, Saronic Technologies is preparing to build a massive shipyard on the Texas coast capable of producing autonomous surface vessels at scale, a project expected to create more than 10,000 jobs.

Bloomberg reports that the Austin-based technology company, which specializes in maritime drones, is building a $3.2 billion shipyard at the Port of Brownsville on the Texas coast. The facility will manufacture medium- and large-class autonomous vessels.

Earlier this week, the US military used Saronic's Corsair one-way attack vessels in a swarm strike against a submarine and ship-maintenance facility at Iran's Bandar Abbas naval base.

Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran. Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea… pic.twitter.com/bOM2kmgRxz

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 13, 2026

Here is what the larger class of vessel looks like.

Marauder, underway. pic.twitter.com/vdfjrB0eVv

— Saronic (@Saronic) July 15, 2026

Saronic CEO and co-founder Dino Mavrookas told Bloomberg that the new shipyard reflects a broader revival of the US industrial base as the country shifts toward a wartime economy.

"Built from the ground up to deliver ships at a speed and scale not seen since World War II, this investment is about more than constructing a shipyard," Mavrookas said.

Related:

• Trump's Booming War Economy Explained In One Chart

Whether it is one-way attack boats or loitering munitions, the US military appears set to enter a procurement supercycle beginning next year. We previously detailed how readers can position for the "Asymmetric Warfare Boom." Read more here.