Name

Magnet Defense

Legal name

Magnet Defense LLC

Website

https://magnetdefense.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autonomous Maritime Systems (Unmanned Surface Vessels)

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Ship and Boat Building (3366), Ship and Boat Building (33661)

akta.pro primary industry

Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) & Autonomous Maritime Surface Platforms (IMABAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Unmanned Naval Vessels (USV/UUV) (IMAJABAH), Maritime Unmanned Systems (USV/UUV) & Control Stations (IMABAKAJ), Marine & Underwater Robotics (USVs/UUVs) (HDAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Unmanned surface vessels
• Autonomous maritime platforms
• AI-enabled naval autonomy
• Missile defense vessels
• Contested logistics maritime

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. USV Platform Sales: Sale of AI-enabled unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to U.S. military and allied defense forces. Revenue from M48 and M68 platform deliveries, with first M48 delivery scheduled for Q2 2027. Platform prices range from $30 million for M48 (157-foot variant).
2. Defense Contract Services: Strategic partnerships with defense primes (Hanwha Defense USA) for joint MUSV development and production. Revenue from government defense contracts for autonomous maritime platforms, missile defense systems, and fleet operations capabilities.
3. Acquisition Integration (Metal Shark): Integration of Metal Shark's shipbuilding operations and manufacturing capacity. Vertical integration through acquisition to control production of AI-enabled USVs for U.S. Golden Fleet initiative.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Magnet Defense designs, builds, and sells AI-enabled autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) — the M48 Fleet USV and M68 strategic platform — for U.S. and allied military customers. The platforms are powered by proprietary AI software stacks (DriveAI, TrackAI, ForgeAI, and DefendAI battlespace management) and are manufactured through the company's vertically integrated shipbuilding operations following its acquisition of Metal Shark.

Product overview

Magnet Defense offers a unified platform of autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for national security maritime operations. The portfolio consists of purpose-built vessel platforms (M48 Fleet USV, M68 USV, and the jointly-developed H38 MUSV) paired with proprietary AI software systems (DriveAI, TrackAI, ForgeAI, and DefendAI battlespace management). The company has vertically integrated manufacturing through its Metal Shark shipbuilding acquisition and expanded AI capabilities via the ATG acquisition bringing the AXIOM autonomy stack. The platforms support multiple mission sets including missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, ISR, logistics, and search and rescue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• M48: Multi-mission, long-range fleet operations USV platform - 48m length, 17,000 NM range
• M68
• DriveAI
• TrackAI
• ForgeAI
• DefendAI

Products and services

• M48 Fleet USV The M48 Fleet USV is a 48-meter (157-foot) multi-mission autonomous unmanned surface vessel designed for long-range fleet operations. It features a 17,000 NM range (longest of any MUSV currently at sea), 100-ton payload capacity, cruise speed of 15 kts, burst speed of 27 kts, and accommodates four 40' ISO containers for modular, configurable mission payloads. It is targeted at U.S. and allied military customers for distributed fleet operations and missile defense missions.
• M68 Strategic USV The M68 is a 68-meter strategic autonomous unmanned surface vessel configured for missile defense and contested logistics. It delivers a 13,900 NM range, 220-ton payload capacity, 650-ton displacement, cruise speed of 25 kts, burst speed of 32 kts, and accommodates eight 40' ISO containers. It supports USV-to-USV resupply operations and integrated air and missile defense missions for U.S. and allied military customers.
• H38 MUSV The H38 is a 38-meter Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel jointly developed with Hanwha Defense USA for the U.S. Department of War. It integrates Hanwha's missile systems, manufacturing scale, and AI-driven robotic shipyards with Magnet Defense's proven autonomous platform technology, and serves the U.S. Golden Fleet initiative.
• DriveAI DriveAI is Magnet Defense's proprietary autonomous navigation and mission routing system for USVs. It is designed to operate safely and in compliance with maritime rules while delivering multi-layer autonomy for contested, real-world, communications-denied environments, and powers the navigation capabilities of the M48 platform.
• TrackAI TrackAI is the company's proprietary AI-powered detection, classification, and telemetry-grade tracking software for high-speed threats across distributed maritime and multi-domain environments. It fuses data from radar, EO/IR imaging, and electronic support measures to enable threat assessment and target tracking.
• ForgeAI ForgeAI is Magnet Defense's AI-enabled manufacturing platform for designing, building, and scaling autonomous vessels from concept through deployment. It powers AI-driven robotic shipyards acquired through Metal Shark, enabling rapid design-to-production cycles for U.S. and allied customers.
• DefendAI Battlespace Management Suite DefendAI is Magnet Defense's comprehensive battlespace management platform that integrates command and control across air, space, maritime, land, and cyber domains. It is enhanced by ATG's AXIOM AI-enabled autonomy stack and provides a single operational picture for U.S. and allied military commanders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,000 nautical mile range - longest of any MUSV at sea today
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Hanwha Defense USAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Strategic partnership to jointly produce Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (MUSVs) for the U.S. Department of War. The partnership includes development of 38-meter MUSVs, AI-driven robotic shipyards, and advanced AI autonomy software. Hanwha brings manufacturing capacity and missile systems while Magnet Defense provides proven M48 platform technology with 17,000 nautical mile range and validated autonomous capabilities. The H38 vessel combines Hanwha's missile systems and robotics with Magnet Defense's autonomous platform.
• Metal SharkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompleted acquisition of Metal Shark, a designer and shipbuilder of maritime platforms for defense and law enforcement. Metal Shark brings 20+ years experience, 2,000+ vessels delivered worldwide (500+ to U.S. Navy, 600+ to U.S. Coast Guard), and two Louisiana manufacturing facilities spanning 125,000+ square feet. The acquisition integrates Metal Shark's shipbuilding operations with Magnet Defense's AI-enabled autonomous technology to create a leading supplier of AI-enabled USVs for U.S. and allied militaries under the Golden Fleet initiative.
• Advanced Technology Group (ATG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDefinitive agreement to acquire Advanced Technology Group (ATG) to enhance AI-enabled autonomous maritime defense capabilities. ATG's open-architecture AI solutions and AXIOM (Autonomy Exchange for Interoperable Modularity) stack will be integrated into Magnet Defense's DefendAI battlespace management suite. ATG's team of mission architects, AI integrators, and software engineers will support expanded programs across the combined organization. Transaction subject to customary closing conditions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris provides autonomous and unmanned maritime systems, C4I integration, and naval electronic warfare capabilities to DoD. It competes with Magnet Defense on the integrated battlespace management and naval autonomy layers, particularly via the ASW and ISR segments.
• Anduril Industries: Anduril is a major defense technology company building AI-enabled autonomous systems across air, sea, and land domains (including the Dive-LD AUV and Ghost Shark extra-large USV). It competes broadly with Magnet Defense across the autonomous defense portfolio and represents a well-capitalized incumbent threat.
• Austal USA: Austal USA is a major U.S. Navy shipbuilder producing Independence-class LCS, EPF, and other platforms and is investing in unmanned vessels. It is comparable to Magnet Defense's Metal Shark shipbuilding arm in the U.S. naval shipbuilding landscape.
• Huntington Ingalls Industries: HII is the largest U.S. military shipbuilder and a major Navy prime contractor with deep program office relationships. Through its Mission Technologies division and Unmanned Systems business, it competes with Magnet Defense in MUSV and distributed maritime programs as a broad incumbent.

Regional players

• Elbit Systems: Elbit Systems is an Israeli defense electronics company with a growing naval autonomy and unmanned surface vessel portfolio. It is comparable to Magnet Defense in autonomous maritime mission systems, but primarily serves non-U.S. allied markets rather than competing head-to-head in U.S. DoD programs.

Emerging players

• HavocAI: HavocAI builds autonomous surface vessels for defense and commercial customers using AI-driven autonomous navigation. It overlaps with Magnet Defense's DriveAI capability and is an emerging competitor in the small-to-medium USV segment.
• ThayerMahan: ThayerMahan operates autonomous maritime systems for undersea detection, ASW, and maritime domain awareness. It overlaps with Magnet Defense's TrackAI and ASW capabilities as a focused emerging player in autonomous maritime sensing.

Others

• Metal Shark (pre-acquisition context): Metal Shark is a U.S. shipbuilder now wholly owned by Magnet Defense, delivering patrol boats and high-speed vessels to the Navy, Coast Guard, and law enforcement. As a now-integrated subsidiary, it provides the manufacturing peer reference point for Magnet Defense's vertically integrated model.

Direct peers

• Saronic Technologies: Saronic develops autonomous surface vessels for naval and defense customers, including the Spyglass and Cutlass USV platforms. It is the most direct U.S. competitor to Magnet Defense in AI-enabled autonomous USVs targeting the Navy MUSV program.
• Saildrone: Saildrone manufactures wind- and solar-powered autonomous surface vessels used for ISR, hydrographic survey, and defense missions. Its USV fleet is operationally deployed with the U.S. Navy and competes with Magnet Defense in the persistent ISR and maritime domain awareness mission areas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Magnet Defense