Saronic began construction of Port Alpha in Brownsville, Texas, at a ceremony attended by JD Vance and Greg Abbott. The company plans to build crewed and autonomous vessels at the new yard, including US Navy landing craft. That Navy program involves three contractors, with deliveries expected to begin in late 2028.
Maritime defense company Saronic broke ground on its Port Alpha shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, on 30 September. US Vice President JD Vance and Texas Governor Greg Abbott joined the ceremony at the Port of Brownsville. The event starts construction of the facility Saronic announced in July. The company intends to produce both crewed and autonomous vessels at the site.[1], [2]
Port Alpha is intended to build Landing Craft Utility vessels for the US Navy. These boats carry personnel, weapons and cargo. The Navy selected Saronic and two other companies this month under a program worth roughly $280 million across the contractors. The Navy expects deliveries to begin in late 2028. Saronic chief executive Dino Mavrookas said modular production and throughput shape the new yard’s design.[1]
Saronic already runs a shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana, where it builds autonomous surface vessels. Its Texas hiring plans span welding and machining, robotics, software engineering and naval architecture. The company’s ambition of roughly 10,000 direct employees remains a projection. Mavrookas said the Franklin yard had received $300 million in infrastructure investment. That existing Louisiana operation provides the manufacturing background for the new Texas construction project.[1]
