Milestone Reached for ROMULUS USV & Sea Trial Timeline Confirmed

HII has reached the 30% construction milestone for the prototype of its new ROMULUS Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) family following a progress review at the Breaux Brothers Enterprises shipyard in Louisiana.

The vessel remains on schedule for sea trials in the fourth quarter of 2026. During a recent facility tour, HII leaders and build partners from Breaux Brothers and Incat Crowther reviewed the current state of hull construction, outfitting, and the integration of the Autonomous Control System (ACS), Odyssey.

The prototype serves as the first entry in a modular, AI-enabled line optimized for rapid, repeatable production. Technical specifications for the ROMULUS fleet include speeds exceeding 25 knots and an operational range of 2,500 nautical miles. By pairing ROMULUS with HII’s existing REMUS UUVs, the company aims to provide a scalable dual-domain force package capable of supporting distributed maritime operations.

Andy Green, President of HII’s Mission Technologies division, commented, “ROMULUS is progressing at a pace that reflects the urgency of the mission and the strength of our partnerships. Breaux Brothers and our industry team are delivering a platform that brings scale, autonomy and real operational advantage to the fleet. At 30% complete, the ROMULUS prototype is well on its way to becoming the benchmark for unmanned surface capability.”

Designed for high-endurance, sustained open-ocean autonomy, the ROMULUS family of vessels is engineered to meet the requirements of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and allied joint forces. These platforms are intended to support a wide array of mission profiles, including Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Counter-UAS (C-UAS), mine countermeasures, and strike operations. Additionally, the vessels serve as motherships for the launch and recovery of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

Central to the vessel’s performance is the Odyssey ACS, a proven autonomy suite currently utilized across more than 35 USV platforms and over 750 REMUS units globally. The system features an open-access, government-aligned architecture that allows for the rapid integration of third-party sensors and payloads. To enhance autonomous performance and lifecycle sustainment, the platform also incorporates integrated capabilities from Shield AI, Applied Intuition, and C3 AI.

Development of the technology is being supported by HII’s Dark Sea Labs Advanced Technology Group. A significant milestone was recently achieved in November, when HII and Shield AI successfully completed the first major test of their integrated autonomy solution aboard a ROMULUS 20 USV, moving the AI-enabled fleet closer to operational deployment.