MARTAC expands US drone boat production with 100 more Devil Rays per year

MARTAC partners with SŌLACE Boats to increase production of its Devil Ray autonomous vessels by 100 units per year to meet growing demand from U.S. and allied governments. Maritime Tactical Systems (MARTAC), an industry leader in manufacturing autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs), announced the manufacturing partnership on September 15. It said that SŌLACE will provide additional production capacity for its flagship Devil Ray USV platform at its 200,000-square-foot (4.59 acres) production facility in Edgewater, Florida. Specializing in high-performance, high-strength boats, SŌLACE uses vacuum infusion and catamaran-hull manufacturing techniques that complement MARTAC’s methods to produce its Devil Ray and MANTAS USVs, as per an announcement. “We’re proud to partner with SŌLACE, given their reputation, in-depth experience, and prowess in producing high-strength, lightweight hulls that can traverse high sea states,” MARTAC CEO Tony Smeraglinolo said. “Our partnership with SŌLACE demonstrates MARTAC’s ability to rapidly scale by harnessing the talent and capacity of world-class marine manufacturers in our region.” SŌLACE expands Florida manufacturing capacity According to MARTAC’s website, the Devil Ray T24 launched in 2023 and quickly entered service with U.S. and allied forces. Built as a multi-role autonomous vessel, the T24 can tackle missions across coastal and open-ocean environments while carrying a range of payloads. The vessel can also act as a “marsupial mothership,” deploying smaller MANTAS T12 USVs alongside third-party aerial and underwater drones. MARTAC designed the T24 to integrate its MantaFleet autonomy and collision-avoidance systems and accommodate emerging AI capabilities without requiring a platform redesign. The SŌLACE agreement reflects MARTAC’s broader push to expand production of its autonomous vessels through partnerships with established marine manufacturers, companies that already know how to manufacture boats, rather than building additional manufacturing capacity itself. SŌLACE produces luxury center console boats ranging from 28 to 42 feet. Its manufacturing operation extends beyond the 200,000-square-foot figure and covers 16 acres along the Intracoastal Waterway, according to its website. In June, MARTAC announced a separate co-production agreement with Florida-based Mystic Powerboats to increase domestic production capacity for U.S. and allied customers. Similarly, Mystic operates a nearly 100,000-square-foot production facility and specializes in advanced carbon-fiber and composite manufacturing, according to MARTAC’s June 1 announcement. MARTAC described the Mystic agreement as the first of several domestic co-production partnerships it was finalizing. The latest agreement adds another Florida manufacturing operation to that production strategy while providing a specific capacity increase: another 100 Devil Ray vessels annually. “SŌLACE Boats is excited to be partnering with MARTAC, a company whose platforms have over a decade of operational excellence in government programs and exercises,” Dougherty said in the September 15 announcement. “We are honored to leverage our expertise to support national security initiatives along with the greater maritime security mission.” MARTAC expands domestic production network MARTAC said it is using manufacturers with dual-use experience to expand USV production while reducing lead-time and capital constraints. The company develops autonomous surface vessels for military, security, commercial and scientific applications. Its fleet includes the MANTAS X-Class and Devil Ray Expeditionary Class platforms, which MARTAC says have accumulated thousands of operating hours across a range of conditions. With the SŌLACE partnership, MARTAC will now tap additional manufacturing capacity in Edgewater as it works to meet demand for its autonomous maritime platforms from U.S. and allied-nation governments. Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Originally from LA, Maria Mocerino has been published in Business Insider, The Irish Examiner, The Rogue Mag, Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and now Interesting Engineering.