Jerry Petersen 
- HII and partner company MetalCraft Marine tested and delivered two ROMULUS-25 prototypes for the U.S. Marine Corps under a DIU contract.
- ROMULUS-25 is an interceptor unmanned surface vessel that can operate autonomously via HII’s AI-powered Odyssey system.
- HII Mission Technologies President Andy Green described the delivery of the prototype USVs as “a strong recognition of HII’s deep experience and the maturity of our proven autonomous technologies.”
HII recently announced the delivery in December 2025 of two prototype ROMULUS-25 autonomous unmanned surface vessels for the U.S. Marine Corps. Work on the two prototype USVs, which also involved sea tests, was carried out in partnership with boatbuilder MetalCraft Marine under a contract with the Defense Innovation Unit for smaller form factor autonomous boat prototypes, HII said Friday.
What is ROMULUS-25?
ROMULUS-25 is a high-speed interceptor vessel. It is 27 feet in length, has a range of 1,000 nautical miles and works to deliver payloads of up to 1,000 pounds.
The USV features HII’s artificial intelligence-based Odyssey system, which works to enable autonomous operations. Odyssey has been deployed on over 30 platforms and has seen over 12,000 hours of operations at sea.
What Did HII Exec Andy Green Say About the USV delivery?
Regarding the delivery of the USVs, HII Executive Vice President and HII Mission Technologies President Andy Green said, “Successfully delivering on this prototype contract with the Defense Innovation Unit and the U.S. Marine Corps is a strong recognition of HII’s deep experience and the maturity of our proven autonomous technologies.”
The 2026 Wash100 Award winner went on to tout the qualities of the prototype, saying, “The ROMULUS-25, powered by our Odyssey autonomy suite, builds on thousands of hours of successful at-sea operations and demonstrates how scalable, AI-enabled unmanned systems can extend the reach, endurance, and effectiveness of naval forces.”
What Is the ROMULUS Product Line?
ROMULUS-25 is part of HII’s broader family of ROMULUS USVs, which is designed to support a variety of missions, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, mine countermeasures, strike operations, counter-unmanned systems, and aerial and underwater drone deployment and recovery.
Included in this USV family is ROMULUS-151, whose production was recently expanded. In April, HII said it planned to produce four ROMULUS-151 USVs in addition to the one unit that was already being made. The vessels are to be built by Breaux Brothers Enterprises, whose ROMULUS assembly facility is set for expansion.
