HII is continuing development of its ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel family, with the first prototype currently about 30 percent complete and on track for sea trials in late 2026.
The ROMULUS vessels are engineered for extended-duration operations in open-ocean environments, providing support to the US Navy, Marine Corps, joint forces, and partner nations.
Their roles span intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, counter-drone defense, mine countermeasures, precision strike missions, and the launch and recovery of unmanned underwater and aerial vehicles.
Capable of speeds above 25 knots, the USVs have an operational range of up to 2,500 nautical miles.
Each platform is approximately 190 feet long.
ROMULUS is designed to enable seamless manned–unmanned teaming, including functions such as refueling and resupply.
Central to the system is Odyssey, HII’s AI-driven command and control suite, which can operate individual vessels or orchestrate coordinated swarms.
An open-architecture design allows the platform to integrate new sensors, payloads, and autonomy technologies as they mature.
To enhance autonomous operations and sustainment, ROMULUS incorporates technologies from Shield AI, Applied Intuition, and C3 AI.
In November, HII partnered with Shield AI to conduct a dual-autonomy test, running Shield AI’s Hivemind software alongside HII’s Odyssey suite on the USV platform.
