Fleetzero, Thoma-Sea and Glosten team up on autonomous vessel solutions

The partnership brings together Fleetzero’s Leviathan battery energy storage system, propulsion technologies, and autonomy stack, Thoma-Sea’s domestic shipbuilding capacity and Glosten’s vessel design expertise.     The three companies are developing a tightly integrated autonomous diesel-electric vessel engineered for use in contested waters, persistent operations, and supply delivery with minimal radar cross-section. Its angular design draws inspiration from low-profile and stealth vessels in military use today, and adapts the propulsion technology for long-range, low-signature missions.      The combined capability has been refined through demonstrations and engineering work and is engineered to address requirements outlined in areas of interest for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and other Department of War stakeholders.

According to the companies, 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 and domestic-content, Jones Act, and Buy American compliance.      As the U.S. Department of War, MARAD, and allied maritime forces accelerate adoption of autonomous and remotely crewed surface vessels, the ability to deliver electrified, autonomy-ready hulls from domestic shipyards is becoming a national priority. The Fleetzero, Thoma-Sea, and Glosten collaboration aims to support this objective by combining ultra-dense marine energy storage, vessel-level autonomy, and U.S. shipbuilding into a single low-signature platform.      “Moving cargo through contested waters is more imperative today than ever before. Fleetzero is building and demonstrating that capability today,” said Steven Henderson, CEO of Fleetzero. “By partnering with Thoma-Sea and Glosten, we are pairing our Leviathan energy storage systems and Fleetzero’s autonomy stack with two of the most capable shipbuilding and design organizations in the country. This is how we can deliver MOSA [Modular Open Systems Approach] compliant, autonomous vessels at scale.”

Fleetzero notes that its autonomy strategy began with improving the propulsion system, a key enabler for eliminating maintenance required while in autonomous mode. Fleetzero’s diesel-electric propulsion with the Leviathan battery system is designed to enable long-duration autonomy missions. Fleetzero says that the Leviathan systems provide minimal noise and heat signature, engineer out unnecessary parts, and typically deliver double the energy density compared to other maritime battery systems. This reduces the total bill of materials to manufacture at scale, and dramatically cuts operating expenses over the vessel’s lifespan while enhancing reliability and survivability in contested waters.

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 aims to deliver 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 has more than six decades of naval architecture and marine engineering experience, with a portfolio that includes research vessels, commercial cargo ships, and government platforms.     As the lead naval architect for the system, Glosten will integrate 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.”