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HII has partnered with MetalCraft Marine to deliver and sea test two Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) under a Defense Innovation Unit contract for the U.S. Marine Corps.
The two ROMULUS-25 autonomous vessels were delivered in December 2025 and have supported successful testing and demonstration of advanced autonomous mission behaviors at sea. The vessels represent part of a broader family of unmanned surface vessels from HII that range from 7-foot micro-USVs to a 190-foot aluminum variant capable of carrying multiple containerized payloads.
Designed as a 27-foot high-speed interceptor, the ROMULUS-25 can deliver up to 1,000 pounds of payload with an operational range of up to 1,000 nautical miles. Fully capable of autonomous operation, the vessel is powered by HII’s Odyssey AI-based autonomy system, which integrates multiple sensors and effectors to enable coordinated, cross-domain maritime operations in support of the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as U.S. and allied navies.
Andy Green, Executive Vice President of HII and President of HII’s Mission Technologies division, commented, “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 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.”
Over the past five years, the Odyssey autonomy software has been validated through more than 2,200 hours of autonomous operations during government-led tests and exercises. Across more than 30 different platforms, the software has accumulated over 12,000 hours of successful at-sea operations. The system features a modular open systems architecture and a service-based design that enables integration with the HII Minotaur targeting network, enhancing mission-level operations and edge capabilities through AI-based contact recognition and identification.
The successful execution of this contract award represents one of several ongoing commitments by HII and MetalCraft Marine to advance hybrid manned-unmanned fleet capabilities and enable next-generation autonomous operations in support of naval missions worldwide.
