Dino Mavrookas
Person
Dino Mavrookas is a co-founder of Saronic, a defense technology company specializing in autonomous warships and maritime robotic systems. He appeared as a guest on the 'All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg' podcast to discuss autonomous warships, naval defense technology, and maritime swarms.
What Dino Mavrookas has said on podcasts
17 statements
Autonomous platforms can rescue personnel without exposing additional soldiers to danger.
“what we were able to prove in this moment was that you can go and rescue people without putting additional soldiers in harm's way”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 2:57
The United States can build 100,000 gross tons of ships annually.
“The United states can build 100,000 gross tons of ships every year”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 5:30
China can outbuild the United States in shipbuilding by 230 to one.
“The Chinese, which you were referencing, can build 23 million gross tons. So they can outbuild the US 230 to 1.”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 5:46
China currently accounts for 57% of global shipbuilding capacity.
“Today they have 57% of the world's shipbuilding capacity.”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 6:04
- on United States shipbuilding costsNegativeAug 5, 2026· All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
Building ships in the United States costs five to six times more than in China.
“the ship built in the United States is actually five to six times the cost of that same ship built in China”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 6:25
China's naval fleet will reach approximately 450 ships soon.
“The Chinese delivered somewhere in the ballpark of 30 ships. Their fleet size is around 370. They'll be at 450 before you know it.”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 7:43
A naval destroyer costs approximately three billion dollars to purchase.
“A destroyer, naval Destroyer costs about $3 billion.”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 13:48
For long-range fires, Marauder can deliver comparable capability without personnel aboard.
“if the mission is long range fires, we're packing a bunch of VLS tubes on the back of Marauder, you actually don't lose anything”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 16:18
The future Navy will combine manned and unmanned ships.
“what you're going to see in the Navy is like a hybrid Navy”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 16:53
- on Defense Department autonomous-systems spendingPositiveAug 5, 2026· All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
Defense spending on autonomous systems should increase rapidly.
“It needs to go up and it needs to go up quickly.”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 25:00
- on Autonomous vessels in the Strait of HormuzPositiveAug 5, 2026· All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
Large autonomous fleets can counter maritime threats with greater scale, persistence, and reduced personnel risk.
“using large numbers of autonomous vessels, you can combat these threats in completely different ways. You can offer scale, persistence, and risk reduction”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 27:36
Saronic can currently produce 2,000 Corsair vessels annually in Austin.
“we could build 2,000 Corsair per year right now at our manufacturing facility in Austin”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 28:41
- on Military artificial intelligencePositiveAug 5, 2026· All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
AI enables military forces to operate at greater scale and efficiency.
“artificial intelligence actually just gives the military the opportunity to one, operate at a greater scale and then operate more efficiently”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 33:21
Saronic's Brownsville Port Alpha site will begin as an 800-acre U.S. shipyard.
“We're going to start on a 800 acre plot of land which in and of itself 800 acres is now the largest shipyard in the United States.”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 37:38
Port Alpha will receive billions in investment and create 10,000 jobs within ten years.
“We're going to invest billions of dollars into this project. We're going to create 10,000 jobs over the next 10 years”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 37:55
- on United States shipbuilding costsPositiveAug 5, 2026· All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
Saronic believes new products and processes can halve U.S. shipbuilding costs.
“we can cut the cost of a ship in the United States in half”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 42:48
Defense technology is this generation's equivalent of the space race.
“this is our generation's version of the space race”
Open the episode · Saronic Founders: Autonomous Warships, China's 230X Advantage & Swarms of Robot ShipsListen at 46:58
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
