Gecko Robotics and Trident to Accelerate U.S. Navy Component Production
Trident Maritime Systems, a major supplier to the U.S. Navy, has partnered with Gecko Robotics to deploy advanced manufacturing technologies that expand production of the fleet’s essential components.
Across 20 fabrication facilities responsible for mission-critical parts to fully integrated shipboard systems, AI and robotics will increase throughput by at least 40% in support of the Navy’s growing shipbuilding and sustainment demands.
Gecko and Trident will bring new digital and robotic capabilities to increase capacity within legacy manufacturing environments, boosting the defense supply chain, which provides vast and essential components to the U.S. Navy and Department of Defense. The manufacturing capability and capacity of this industrial base is critical to the U.S. Navy and shipbuilding industry.
By deploying Gecko’s engineering teams, robotics platforms, and AI-powered software, Cantilever™, directly onto Trident factory floors, the partnership will identify hidden bottlenecks and implement both hardware and software interventions designed for high-mix manufacturing.
“Rebuilding the American industrial base requires new ways of understanding how components are made and how we unlock the capacity hidden within our supply chain,” said Jake Loosararian, Co-founder and CEO of Gecko Robotics. “Gecko’s partnership with Trident will rigorously assess each component and build a digital thread that will improve the manufacturing process, ensuring our men and women get the ships and systems they need.”
“As shipbuilding demand accelerates, the real challenge isn’t just adding capacity but unlocking productivity across the existing supplier network,” said Trip Mullen, COO at Trident Maritime Systems. “To change the way we build ships it demands we look at our processes, systems, and capabilities differently and take advantage of new technology. We must utilize these advances to deliver more production out of the existing facilities and personnel we have today across the entire industrial base. Trident and Gecko are turning real manufacturing conditions into smarter planning, stronger schedules, and scalable output.”
The application of data-driven analysis and robotic systems to high-mix manufacturing represents a significant advancement for an industry expanding output across multiple fabrication and integration sites. These capabilities are particularly impactful as shipbuilding increasingly relies on distributed execution to balance capacity, workforce availability, and schedule performance.
