Co-Founder @BlueWaterShips | Building autonomous ships for democracy’s navies
Joined September 2011
- Tweets 2,592
- Following 863
- Followers 1,796
- Likes 1,797
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26 Aug 2025
Earlier this summer, we raised $50M from Google Ventures for our Series A. This is a unique moment (for 🇺🇸) for two reasons:
1️⃣ This is the fist time U.S. shipbuilding as an industry has a new company, focused on building a ship product, with the capital and team to do so.
2️⃣ Google Ventures’ entry reminds us that, in the defense tech renaissance, much of democracy’s best talent and capital has remained on the sidelines. No longer.
We owe a ton of thanks to our existing investors - all of whom participated in the Series A - the rapidly growing Blue Water Team, and to our very understanding families.
We will work relentlessly.
Now check out this dope picture of our hardware on the salt water - more content coming soon.
26 Aug 2025
We are proud to announce our Series A. @GVteam and @davemuni - with all Blue Water insiders joining - have led a $50M round that allows us to deliver for our customers and our country. 🇺🇸
We are not slowing down.
We have used the last year to hire the best robotics engineers in Boston, build a team of veteran shipbuilders, and open a third office in Washington D.C. We are testing on the salt water on ship-scale hardware. We are building capability to attack America's shipbuilding crisis at its core.
This round allows us to build our first full ship and keep pace with a Navy customer that demands speed. We will double down on our fully autonomous design, deepen relationships with our 50 suppliers, and deliver mass-producible ships to the U.S. Navy and future customers.
Thanks to our incredible employees, their families, and to our investors. All of us know this is only an early chapter in the story of America's maritime industrial renaissance. Much work lies ahead. 🛠️
Damn the torpedoes.
@Sethwinterroth @smarcus @rylanhamilton @Turnip #shipbuilding
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Here's why we can't win a robot war with China
Last year, I published a deep dive on China's maritime drone industrial base - TLDR: China has way more capability for USVs and UUVs than we do.
They've already done this with DJI and UAS.
In Red's Hellscape: Far More Dangerous Than Blue's I unpack a core tension most people don't realize about the military drone market and ADM Paparo's vision.
INDOPACOM has bet on a Hellscape strategy to slow a PLA attempt to cross the Taiwan Strait - INDOPACOM has not bet that we can win a long-run robot vs. robot war.
Other stakeholders in media, industrial base, government are assuming that betting on hellscape means betting on outdoing China in drone warfare.
This. Will. Never. Work.
@McKinsey published another 🔥🔥🔥 proof point that China has a much stronger supply base for robots - look at this graphic showing China's strength in actuators, electronics, and key sensors...
Just like China will always have more shipbuilding than the U.S. they will always have a better supply chain to win on pure mass in this category.
This doesn't mean we should stand down our efforts to build strategic autonomy through a resilient, domestic industrial base - in fact it simply means we should be extra smart about how and where we do it.
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Jun 12
Here we go
Jun 12
If you’re an exceptional technologist or builder with a proven track record, and want to serve our nation as a Direct Commission Navy Officer, apply for the highly selective Navy Innovation Unit.
You will get our thorniest problems.
We expect rapid and transformative results.
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Austin E Gray retweeted
Jun 12
If you’re an exceptional technologist or builder with a proven track record, and want to serve our nation as a Direct Commission Navy Officer, apply for the highly selective Navy Innovation Unit.
You will get our thorniest problems.
We expect rapid and transformative results.
Jun 12
⚓️📰 #USNAVY UPDATE: The Navy Reserve is opening a new direct-commission pathway into the Navy Innovation Unit, recruiting elite engineers, architects and builders to solve maritime technology challenges.
Keep your civilian job. Serve the mission. @USNavy
navy.mil/press-office/press-…
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Austin E Gray retweeted
Jun 12
A U.S. Army landing craft launched several low-observable micro high-altitude balloons during an exercise off the coast of Morocco last month, trialing a new launched effect and satellite communications capability developed by Mach Industries to enable long-range communications and precision strikes with one-way attack drones 🇺🇸
By @__CJohnston__
navalnews.com/naval-news/202…
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Jun 12
The world’s largest cargo drone… will never fly. It will be a displacement hull autonomous ship.
The world’s largest anything will never fly - that’s just physics.
Jun 11
BREAKING: @poseidonaero has built the world’s largest cargo drone.
Egret carries 4,000 lbs, spans 50 feet, and has a 1,650 nm range for long-range autonomous cargo logistics.
ALT Source: Poseidon
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Jun 12
🔥Big shipbuilding piece on Substack by Gary Kim.
He shows empirically the decline of U.S. shipyard "efficiency" in recent decades.
However, he makes one big mistake - confusing "efficiency" with "productivity." This may sound small, but @CommerceGov BLS data clearly shows shipbuilding productivity has INCREASED the past few years.
Shipbuilding productivity:
- Has outpaced regular manufacturing
- Has absolutely lapped aerospace & defense manufacturing
Shipbuilding efficiency - is collapsing.
Productivity = how much work a single worker gets done / value they create with a single hour of work
Efficiency = How many hours of work get applied to a shipbuild task relative to how many hours of work on shipyard payroll
Although he misrepresents productivity vs. efficiency and has some pretty stinging cultural accusations about shipyard teams, this is a must-read piece (link in first comment).
It's filled with tactical and visual observations like the chart below - maybe aircraft carrier serial production has slowed because the teams building today's aircraft carriers have never built one before?
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Jun 12
Reminder: Shipbuilding productivity is INCREASING
x.com/AustinEGray/status/205…
May 19
🚨Why has defense & aerospace manufacturing productivity dropped off a cliff?
Shipbuilding has been OUTPACING general manufacturing for productivity growth the last 8 years, but automotive & aerospace are crashing.
👀Why???
(US BLS Data)
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Austin E Gray retweeted
May 19
🚨Why has defense & aerospace manufacturing productivity dropped off a cliff?
Shipbuilding has been OUTPACING general manufacturing for productivity growth the last 8 years, but automotive & aerospace are crashing.
👀Why???
(US BLS Data)
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Austin E Gray retweeted
Jun 11
A maritime strategy without sound and useful metrics is just a wish in a pea coat. Ander Heiles proposes the Mahan Ratio, which compares military seapower to the merchant shipping and shipbuilding capacity that underpin it.
warontherocks.com/the-mariti…
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Jun 11
Let’s matrix the government org chart even more - why not?
So much for reducing GOFO positions…
Jun 11
BIG NEWS out of the Senate's early version of the NDAA -- the bill authorizes a new, 4-star combatant command for robotic and autonomous weapon systems
insidedefense.com/daily-news…
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Austin E Gray retweeted
At Blue Water, we're rethinking shipbuilding by combining AI, autonomy, and modern manufacturing to build the next generation of naval capability.
Our partner, @ValstadShip, is pushing those same boundaries by pioneering a new approach to maritime manufacturing through autonomous fabrication, robotics, and AI-driven production systems while challenging long-held assumptions about how ships are built and where production can happen.
The future of shipbuilding won't be defined by a handful of facilities.
It will be defined by networks—connected production capacity, intelligent automation, and the ability to move work across a distributed industrial base. The challenge facing American shipbuilding isn't a lack of demand. It's a lack of capacity. Solving that challenge will require new technology, new operating models, and new partnerships across the maritime industrial base.
We're proud to be building alongside organizations that are willing to rethink the future from the ground up. That's why we're excited to partner with Valstad Shipworks.
About Valstad: valstad.com
About Blue Water: blw.ai
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Austin E Gray retweeted
Jun 11
PASS THE SHIPs ACT
Jun 10
Good meeting with Acting @SECNAV Hung Cao about the SHIPS Act. We both agree - revitalizing America’s commercial shipbuilding industry is imperative to our national security.
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Jun 11
In 2020 my aircraft carrier crew was stuck on Guam. We had COVID.
We were threatened with living on a "berthing barge" that sounded more like a lead-ridden prison.
These YRBM berthing barges are safe, sanitary, and humane sanctuaries for sailors doing hard work on the yard.
Years later, I had the privelege to visit a YRBM at Conrad, and see several more under construction. This is a well-executed, important program - and one that Congress understands and has shown commitment to funding.
BZ to all.
Jun 10
🚢 Strengthening Fleet Support with the Delivery of YRBM 61
The @USNavy recently accepted delivery of Yard Repair, Berthing, and Messing Barge (YRBM) 61, the 5th addition to the Fleet's waterfront support infrastructure.
#Navy #FleetReadiness #PAEMaritime
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Jun 11
Thoughtful piece on AI, warfare, and foreign policy from my man @JakeASteckler
foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/10…
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Austin E Gray retweeted
Great sitting down with fellow USNA grad and former @USMC Captain, @SenToddYoung.
Strategic investments in our shipyards propel the Golden Fleet and our Fleet of the Future.
With Congress' continued support, our Marines and Sailors will remain ready worldwide.
Jun 10
Good meeting with Acting @SECNAV Hung Cao about the SHIPS Act. We both agree - revitalizing America’s commercial shipbuilding industry is imperative to our national security.
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Jun 9
Most. Important. Capability. In. Fleet. 🇺🇸🇺🇸
Jun 9
T-AO 210 Delivered ✅
The @USNavy has officially accepted delivery of USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210), the sixth ship in the John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler program.
#USNavy #PAEMaritime #Shipbuilding #MilitarySealiftCommand
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Austin E Gray retweeted
Jun 9
T-AO 210 Delivered ✅
The @USNavy has officially accepted delivery of USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210), the sixth ship in the John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler program.
#USNavy #PAEMaritime #Shipbuilding #MilitarySealiftCommand
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Jun 9
FIRST use of a USV in combat ops by 🇺🇸🇺🇸
After years of hype and billions of investment, we've finally gotten a robot speedboat reliable enough to fight alongside sailors on the water
Well done all
Most important - well done to @USNavy on overcoming its instinctual caution
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