The Texas Engineer Behind the Navy’s First Drone Boat Rescue

The Corsair, designed for long-range maritime operations, represents a shift in how the Pentagon integrates uncrewed systems into traditional naval missions. Capable of reaching speeds of 35 knots with a 1,000-nautical-mile range, the vessel operates under Task Force 59, a unit dedicated to deploying AI-powered assets. Saronic Technologies, which secured a $392 million production contract with the Navy, built the craft to carry significant payloads while navigating complex environments.

Altekar serves as the company’s chief technology officer, overseeing the software architecture and autonomous navigation systems that drive the Corsair. Before co-founding Saronic in 2022 alongside former Navy SEAL Dino Mavrookas, Doug Lambert, and Rob Lehman, Altekar built a reputation as a perception engineer. His background includes a tenure at Anduril, where he contributed to the Royal Australian Navy’s Ghost Shark submarine project. At Saronic, he now bridges the gap between machine learning and maritime defense, leading the teams responsible for the vessel's command, control, and perception capabilities.