Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has begun building four additional ROMULUS 151 unmanned surface vessels (USVs), expanding its autonomous maritime program for the US Navy and allied partners.
The update moves the program further beyond the prototype phase. The company said the new vessels will be built by Breaux Brothers Enterprises in Louisiana, adding to one ROMULUS 151 already under construction.
ROMULUS is designed as a modular family of AI-enabled USVs for multiple mission types. These include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, mine countermeasures, strike support, counter-unmanned systems, and launch or recovery of other unmanned vehicles.
HII said this design approach is intended to simplify production while allowing mission-specific adjustments without redesigning the core vessel.
ROMULUS Progress Builds
HII’s ROMULUS program has moved through multiple updates as the company tested autonomous surface operations and prepared for production scaling.
In March, the company announced the opening of a new assembly center in Louisiana and introduced the High-Yield Production Robotics initiative, which uses automation and standardized workflows to improve build speed and consistency.
The initiative seeks to support higher production output, according to HII.
HII has also engaged engineering firm Nominal to upgrade how operational and manufacturing data for its ROMULUS USVs are collected and analyzed. The system is expected to enable faster post-mission analysis, supporting shorter testing cycles and improved production throughput across HII platforms.
