Dirac and Fairlead Announce Strategic Partnership to Accelerate American Shipbuilding Through Model-Based Manufacturing

PORTSMOUTH, Va., May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Dirac, the software company pioneering model-based, context-aware production planning for modern manufacturing, today announced a strategic partnership with Fairlead, one of America's most capable maritime engineering and manufacturing firms, to transform shipbuilding through a model-based manufacturing paradigm.

The partnership will deploy Dirac's automated work instruction and production planning platform across Fairlead's operations, laying the foundation for a digital production infrastructure built on Dirac's model-based manufacturing stack. Together, Dirac and Fairlead aim to create the Navy's most agile industrial partner, scaling modular ship production and delivering software-defined manufacturing for the 21st century fleet.

As part of the rollout, Dirac will embed a Forward-Deployed Engineer (FDE) at Fairlead's facilities in Virginia, driving implementation of Dirac's platform to enable model-based manufacturing, context-aware production planning, and real-time feedback loops from design through delivery. The joint effort will empower Fairlead to transition from a system integrator into a high-rate, high-flexibility production platform prime — capable of accelerating delivery of naval platforms, autonomous vessels, and mission modules with unmatched adaptability.

"This is about rebuilding American industrial power — with software at the core," said Filip Aronshtein, CEO of Dirac. "Fairlead shares our conviction that production must move at the speed of design, and that tribal knowledge, digital context, and manufacturing execution belong on the same plane. Together, we're building not just ships — but the infrastructure for sovereign capacity."

Fairlead, known for its high-quality, high-mix fabrication and systems integration work across naval and commercial domains, is making a generational leap by standardizing on Dirac's model-based production platform. This includes leveraging Dirac's entire platform stack — from work instruction automation and facility layout planning to design-for-manufacturability (DFM), from operator feedback tools to automated maintenance and repair (MRO) instructions.

"Dirac is how the Navy will avoid schedule risk and scale capacity, no doubt," said Jerry Miller, Chairman and CEO of Fairlead. "Modern naval platforms are too complex for tribal knowledge alone. With Dirac, we're capturing expertise in maritime production, scaling it across our workforce, and laying the digital foundation to lead in high-volume, modular shipbuilding."

"We've always delivered precision," added Fred Pasquine, President of Fairlead. "Now we're pairing that with velocity and adaptability — that's what Dirac enables. We're turning process into a platform."

"Dirac will help Fairlead become a model site for Navy production modernization," said Jim Blom, Head of Corporate Development at Fairlead. "It's not just about tools — it's about a new operating system for how the maritime industrial base works. Working with Dirac is how Fairlead is driving to align with the recent Executive Order 14269, 'Restoring America's Maritime Dominance'."

The partnership reflects a broader shift toward intelligent manufacturing infrastructure across the defense ecosystem, with Dirac's platform enabling seamless collaboration between engineering, planning, quality, and operations teams. By connecting digital models directly to shop floor execution and feedback, Fairlead and Dirac are building a future where change is not a disruption — it's a design input.

"Fairlead isn't just adopting new software — they're choosing to lead the Navy into the next generation of shipbuilding," said Jerrod Heiser, Head of Product at Dirac and a former senior nuclear engineer at General Dynamics Electric Boat. "This is what it looks like when engineering and production finally speak the same language."

"We've worked inside the constraints of legacy defense manufacturing. This partnership breaks those constraints," said Trevor Smith, Head of Partnerships at Dirac and former mechanical engineer at Collins Aerospace. "It's how we deliver more ships, faster, and with less rework — without compromising precision."

Together, Dirac and Fairlead are charting the course for a software-defined industrial base, where every design decision is context-aware, every build is traceable, and every platform is production-ready from day one.

About Dirac

Dirac is the creator of BuildOS — the first model-based, context-aware production planning platform for advanced manufacturing. From CAD-integrated work instructions to real-time production planning, Dirac enables engineering and operations teams to move in lockstep. Backed by Founders Fund and Coatue, Dirac is building the digital backbone of American reindustrialization. Learn more at diracinc.com

About Fairlead

Fairlead is a trusted partner to the U.S. Navy and defense primes, delivering high-precision fabrication, integration, and engineering for critical maritime systems. Headquartered in Virginia, Fairlead supports shipyards, shipbuilders, and OEMs across the national security industrial base. Learn more at fairlead.com.

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SOURCE Dirac, Inc.