Fleetzero, Thoma-Sea, Glosten Announce Deal on Autonomous Vessels
Fleetzero announced a collaboration with Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors and Glosten to accelerate the development and deployment of integrated autonomous vessel solutions for commercial maritime, government and defense customers.
The combined capability has been refined through demonstrations and engineering work with organizations across the maritime sector, and is engineered to address requirements outlined in areas of interest for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and other Department of War stakeholders. The integrated platform showcases how electrified propulsion paired with autonomous vessel control enhances operational effectiveness across contested littoral and blue-water environments, while delivering the supply chain resilience that commercial and government customers require.
The collaboration aligns with Department of War, MARAD, and Coast Guard priorities, including the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA). The combined platform addresses a wide range of operational needs, including:
- Autonomous and remotely operated cargo operations
- Persistent ISR, patrol, and contested logistics missions
- Electrified harbor craft, tugs, and coastal vessels
- Improved operator safety
- Domestic-content, Jones Act, and Buy American compliance
Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, founded in 1989 and based in Houma, Louisiana, operates new construction yards in coastal Louisiana. Thoma-Sea was selected by the U.S. Navy's Naval Sea Systems Command to design and build the NOAA Oceanographer-class research vessels under a $178 million contract, and has delivered Navy-administered Foreign Military Sales vessels for allied customers. By integrating Fleetzero's power and autonomy systems into Thoma-Sea built hulls, the collaboration delivers a domestically built, autonomy-ready vessel that meets Jones Act and U.S.-content requirements for federal customers.
"Our yards have been building ships for American operators for decades," said Walter Thomassie, Managing Director of Thoma-Sea. "Partnering with Fleetzero and Glosten allows us to deliver the next generation of autonomous vessels with stealth capabilities ready for the missions our customers face today."
Glosten brings more than six decades of naval architecture and marine engineering experience, with a portfolio spanning research vessels, commercial cargo ships, and government platforms. As the lead naval architect for the system, Glosten integrates Fleetzero's propulsion and autonomy technologies with Thoma-Sea built hulls, engineering the platform's defining capabilities: low radar cross-section, silent transit, beach approach angles, and autonomous self-withdrawals.
"Bringing autonomy and electrification together at the vessel-design level is where this collaboration creates real value," said Morgan Fanberg, CEO of Glosten. "Working with Fleetzero and Thoma-Sea, we are designing vessels that are autonomy-native from the keel up, not retrofitted as an afterthought. The design is both functional and low-signature, built for decades of deliveries in the years ahead."
