Seasats Expanded San Diego Operations to Bay Ho

The robotics firm opened a 60,000-square-foot facility to scale production of its autonomous ocean vessels.

Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Robotics

An uncrewed autonomous vessel on a stand in a bright, modern robotics assembly facility. — Seasats opened a new 60,000-square-foot facility in San Diego, scaling production of autonomous surface vessels for defense surveillance missions. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Seasats has opened a new 60,000-square-foot facility in the Bay Ho neighborhood of San Diego. This expansion marks a five-fold increase in operational space for the company as it produces autonomous surface vessels for defense clients.

Why it matters

The company aims to automate repetitive maritime surveillance missions to allow sailors to focus on high-value tasks. The move centralizes production, testing, and research to accelerate the deployment of autonomous naval technology.

The new site covers 60,000 square feet, representing a five-fold increase in space compared to the company’s previous footprint. The facility now houses production and testing for the 12-ft. Lightfish, an autonomous surface vessel designed for ocean data collection.

The players

Seasats

A developer of autonomous surface vessels and maritime robotics focused on defense applications.

U.S. Navy

A maritime service branch currently utilizing autonomous vessels for ocean surveillance.

Marine Corps

A maritime expeditionary force and client of Seasats for autonomous robotics solutions.

The details

The facility integrates production, research, development, testing, and operations in a single location to streamline manufacturing. Lightfish vessels use autonomous navigation systems to conduct long-range ocean surveillance. By automating these repetitive data-collection tasks, the company provides the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps with uncrewed alternatives for routine maritime operations.

2020: Seasats began operations.
October 6, 2026: The company opened its new facility in Bay Ho.
Next year: Seasats plans to increase its workforce by 50 percent.

The Tech Race

This facility expansion marks a shift from prototyping to scaled production for autonomous maritime systems. It follows the trajectory of the U.S. Navy's Task Force 59 autonomous integration initiative, which seeks to integrate uncrewed surface vehicles into routine naval operations.

The company currently employs over 100 people and intends to increase its total headcount by 50 percent over the next year. Local residents and industry professionals should expect expanded recruitment efforts as the company scales operations in Bay Ho.

The takeaway

The expansion signals that Seasats is shifting toward a high-volume manufacturing model to meet the demand for uncrewed maritime vessels. Watch for the company's workforce growth in the coming months as a proxy for their production capacity and contract delivery schedule.