Saronic, founded by former Navy SEAL Dino Mavrookas, developed the Corsair with a team of veterans from SpaceX and Anduril. The 24-foot autonomous vessel operates at speeds exceeding 35 knots, carries 1,000 pounds of payload, and can operate independently up to 1,000 nautical miles or as part of a swarm. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is executing the contract with oversight from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy.
The contract timing follows a June 2026 operational milestone: a Corsair deployed under Task Force 59 rescued two U.S. Army Apache helicopter crew members off Oman near the Strait of Hormuz—the first known personnel rescue by an unmanned U.S. military surface vessel. Prior Navy use of similar drones had been limited to surveillance along the Iran coastline, but the rescue demonstrated their viability for active combat support roles including troop recovery and kinetic effects delivery.
The award validates the Navy's strategic shift toward autonomous maritime assets following real-world proof of capability. As defense budgets expand for drone acquisition and the Navy establishes vendor marketplaces, this contract sets procurement benchmarks for future unmanned systems. The successful rescue underscores the accelerating integration of AI into high-stakes military operations, fundamentally reshaping which missions require human personnel versus autonomous platforms.