US shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has added Halimar Shipyard to its production network as it ramps up manufacturing of its ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel family.
Under the agreement, Halimar will complete ROMULUS 151 vessels while supporting full-rate production alongside existing suppliers.
It is also intended to increase capacity, shorten delivery timelines, and meet growing demand from the US Navy and allied customers for autonomous maritime systems.
HII Vice President Andy Green said that Halimar’s “proven shipbuilding expertise, skilled workforce, and strategic Gulf Coast location” can improve supply chain resilience and provide “affordable, mission-ready” autonomous systems.
The AI-enabled ROMULUS family can be configured for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; mine countermeasures; and strike missions. The platform also supports the launch and recovery of unmanned underwater and aerial vehicles.
ROMULUS USV Program
HII has steadily expanded the ROMULUS program over the past year as it prepares the platform for larger-scale production.
In June, the company and manufacturing partner Bayou Metal Supply & Manufacturing launched a dedicated production line in Louisiana to fabricate major structural sections for the AI-enabled vessels before final assembly by Breaux Brothers Enterprises.
The expansion follows HII’s April decision to begin construction of four additional ROMULUS 151 vessels, adding to the first hull already in production.
Earlier, in March, the company partnered with engineering firm Nominal to modernize the collection and analysis of operational and manufacturing data, a move intended to shorten testing cycles and improve production efficiency across the program.
