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Magnet Defense

Magnet Defense

Manufacturer
Software/Algorithm

Miami maker of autonomous unmanned surface vessels; its 48 m M48 MUSV has logged 32,000+ nm at sea, and it acquired shipbuilder Metal Shark in 2026.

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Company Overview

Magnet Defense LLC is a Miami-based developer of large autonomous unmanned surface vessels for national security missions. It describes its work as combining AI-driven software, advanced manufacturing and mission architecture to build fully autonomous maritime platforms for fleet operations and missile defense. The company is led by co-founder and chief executive Marc Bell and co-founder and chief technology officer George Wallner.

Magnet Defense came out of more than two years of quiet development and unveiled its first vessel publicly on 2 December 2025, stating that it had invested over 50 million US dollars in designing, building and validating it. That vessel is the M48, a 48-metre multi-mission, long-range medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV). Published figures are a cruise speed of 15 knots, burst speed of 27 knots, range of 17,000 nautical miles, payload of 100 tons, displacement of 210 tons and space for four 40-foot ISO containers. The company says the M48 has logged more than 32,000 nautical miles and over 390 days at sea, including a 2024 round trip from Miami to American Samoa, a Panama Canal transit, multi-day operation in Sea State 7 and many hours in Sea State 9. A larger M68 variant for strategic missile defense and contested logistics is listed at 68 metres, eight 40-foot containers, 25 knots cruise, 32 knots burst, 13,900 nautical miles range, 220 tons payload and 650 tons displacement.

Three software products sit behind the hulls: DriveAI for autonomous navigation and mission routing, TrackAI for AI-based detection, classification and tracking of high-speed threats, and ForgeAI, a manufacturing platform for designing, building and scaling vessels. Listed mission sets include long-range ISR and targeting, anti-submarine warfare, integrated air and missile defense, surface warfare, USV and UUV mothership operations, manned-unmanned teaming, electronic warfare, contested logistics and fleet resupply, border protection, search and rescue and hydrographic survey. Vessels use modular sensor suites and containerised mission payloads.

On 6 January 2026 Magnet Defense completed the acquisition of Metal Shark, a Louisiana designer and builder of mission-specific boats for defense and law enforcement with more than 2,000 vessels delivered, including over 500 for the U.S. Navy and 600 for the U.S. Coast Guard, from two facilities with more than 125,000 square feet of manufacturing space on 40 acres. The company said Metal Shark's yards would support deliveries for the U.S. Golden Fleet initiative. On 20 April 2026, at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Hanwha Defense USA, a subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace, to jointly build a 38-metre MUSV for the U.S. Department of War, configure its capabilities and work on AI autonomy software and robotic shipyards. Construction of that vessel was reported in September 2026 as starting in the fall, with testing planned for 2027. No outside investors or contract values have been disclosed.

Capabilities & Activities

Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:

Applications & Industries

Product Categories

Products & Solutions

M48 Multi-Mission Long-Range USV

48 m autonomous medium unmanned surface vessel for long-range fleet operations, ISR and logistics.

M68 Strategic Missile Defense & Contested Logistics USV

68 m autonomous surface vessel variant for strategic missile defense and contested logistics.

DriveAI

Autonomous navigation and mission-routing software for Magnet Defense unmanned surface vessels.

TrackAI

AI software for detecting, classifying and tracking high-speed threats from unmanned vessels.

Partnership & Notable clients

Associating Events

Listed in RobotToday Supplier Discovery. Verified Profile

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Contact Magnet Defense

WEBSITE

https://magnetdefense.com

EMAIL

[email protected]

HEADQUARTERS

Miami , Florida  33101

United States

Company Facts

Founded

-

Primary Role

Manufacturer

Company Size

employees 10-50

Primary Region

North America

Annual Sales

-

Funding Stage

-

Funding Total

-

Keywords

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