Advanced maritime technology company SubSea Craft yesterday announced plans to set up shop in Mississippi. The $6.1 million project will create 56 jobs.
Headquartered in Portsmouth, England, SubSea Craft develops advanced platforms and autonomous technologies for defense, security and commercial customers.
Demand for the company's U.S. business is growing, so it found an existing facility at Port Bienville to establish its primary U.S. commercial production center.
From the Bay St. Louis location, the company will manufacture advanced composite components for autonomous surface vessels, conduct testing and software validation and provide maintenance and technical support for customers across the country.
SubSea Craft expects to begin operations in Q2 2027 and plans to fill the 56 jobs by 2028.
The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive (MFLEX) program. The county and AccelerateMS talent program are assisting with the project as well.
"The United States is a key market for SubSea Craft, and Hancock County provides an ideal location to meet growing demand for autonomous maritime systems," said Camilla Martin, SubSea Craft CEO. "This facility will enable us to manufacture, integrate, test and support advanced autonomous maritime systems at pace, strengthening our ability to support both U.S. and international customers while creating highly skilled jobs in the region."
The news comes just four months after Subsea Craft started an effort to expand into Virginia Beach. The site will serve as a strategic location as the company continues expanding engagement with U.S. defense stakeholders, maritime industry partners and technology collaborators. Virginia Beach was picked because it’s close to military installations, maritime infrastructure, advanced manufacturing capabilities and a specialized workforce.
Earlier this month, Subsea Craft collaborated with defense contractor Anduril to outfit Subsea’s MARS uncrewed surface vessel with Anduril's ALTIUS loitering munition. The teams collaborated to integrate and launch the munition from the MARS payload cassette system.
MARS is a small, high-speed craft for scalable, multi-mission capability in contested environments where risk to manned assets is unacceptable. MARS can deliver a range of capabilities, including electronic warfare effectors, loitering munitions and sonobuoys.
According to the company, the MARS craft was designed, developed and on the water within 100 days.
