Miles Jamison 
HII has unveiled plans to build four ROMULUS 151 autonomous surface vessels, expanding work already underway on a unit currently in construction, the company said Tuesday.
What Is the ROMULUS Platform?
ROMULUS is a modular line of unmanned surface vessels, or USVs, equipped with artificial intelligence to support missions such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, mine countermeasures, strike operations and counter-unmanned systems, while also enabling aerial and underwater drone deployment and recovery. Its scalable design supports repeatable production and offers endurance, global reach and adaptability across multiple vessel sizes.
How Is HII Scaling Production?
The program is backed by a growing production network, including HII’s High-Yield Production Robotics initiative and the Breaux Brothers assembly site, where a ROMULUS USV is currently being built. The company is using robotics, digital quality systems and standardized workflows to move from prototyping to higher-rate manufacturing, aiming to boost efficiency and schedule reliability.
“ROMULUS represents a shift in how we deliver unmanned capability to the fleet,” said Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of mission technologies. “We are combining shipbuilding experience, scalable manufacturing, proven autonomy, and strong industry partnerships to move quickly from prototype to operational deployment. The progress we are seeing today — including these initial production vessels — reinforces that we are on a disciplined path to deliver meaningful capability at speed and at scale,” the eight-time Wash100 Award winner added.
As part of the development of the ROMULUS platform, HII partnered with Nominal to modernize data collection, validation and analysis processes supporting the production and testing of autonomous maritime platforms.
