Huntington Ingalls Industries announced that its ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel (USV) prototype has reached 30% completion, a milestone revealed during a tour of Breaux Brothers Enterprises in Loreauville, Louisiana. The ROMULUS program is part of the company’s Mission Technologies division and is designed to deliver high‑endurance, open‑ocean autonomy for a range of missions, including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, counter‑unmanned air systems, mine countermeasures, strike, and the launch and recovery of unmanned underwater and aerial vehicles.
The prototype will enter sea trials in the fourth quarter of 2026 and incorporates HII’s Odyssey Autonomous Control System. Build partners Breaux Brothers and Incat Crowther are responsible for hull construction and integration, while the vessel’s advanced autonomy is supported by partnerships with Shield AI, Applied Intuition, and C3 AI. A November 2025 test demonstrated the ROMULUS 20 USV’s advanced AI capabilities in a maritime environment.
This milestone reflects HII’s broader strategy to expand its unmanned systems portfolio. The company’s Q3 2025 earnings reported earnings per share of $3.68 and revenue of $3.19 billion, up 16.1% year‑over‑year, driven by strong demand in shipbuilding and Mission Technologies. The ROMULUS program is a key growth engine for the division, complementing the REMUS unmanned underwater vehicle family and aligning with the U.S. Navy’s distributed maritime operations concept.
Andy Green, president of Mission Technologies, said the 30% completion positions ROMULUS as a benchmark for unmanned surface capability. HII’s focus on autonomy and AI integration is evident in its recent collaborations and the successful November 2025 AI test, underscoring the company’s commitment to delivering next‑generation naval assets.
With the prototype 30% complete, HII is poised to deliver a new class of autonomous surface vessels that could reshape naval operations, offering scalable, networked capabilities that support the Navy’s distributed maritime operations strategy.
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