U.S. Rep. Bill Keating joins ribbon-cutting celebrating expanded production capacity, advanced autonomous maritime technology and continued investment in the region
POCASSET, Mass., Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII (NYSE: HII), a global leader in autonomous and unmanned maritime systems, celebrated the expansion of its unmanned systems production campus in Pocasset, Massachusetts, underscoring growing global demand for autonomous maritime platforms and the company’s continued investment in advanced unmanned maritime technology, New England’s skilled workforce and the region’s Blue Economy.
The 10,000-square-foot expansion increases the capacity of HII’s existing 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility capacity to build, develop and integrate advanced unmanned and autonomous maritime systems, including the REMUS family of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and ROMULUS unmanned surface vessels (USVs).
The expanded facility adds production capacity for the U.S. Navy’s Lionfish small unmanned undersea vehicle (SUUV), which is based on HII’s commercial REMUS 300 platform and is currently in production. In July, the Navy awarded HII an option-year contract for continued Lionfish production. The facility will also support production of HII’s REMUS 620 UUV.
Photos accompanying this release are available at: https://www.hii.com/news/hii-expands-unmanned-production-facility-by-25-to-meet-growing-global-maritime-demand/.
The expansion also advances the integration of HII’s Odyssey Autonomous Control Solutions (ACS) software, which supports advanced maritime autonomous and unmanned operations. These capabilities include simulation and modeling designed to support increasingly complex missions across multiple domains and vehicle types as well as autonomy hardware to be installed on ROMULS USVs.
HII celebrated the expansion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, MA-09, highlighting the company’s growing presence on Cape Cod and the region’s role in maritime technology and advanced manufacturing.
“Today’s expansion reflects HII’s continued investment in the people, technology and partnerships that have made us a leader in unmanned maritime capabilities and placed New England at the center for maritime innovation,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of the Unmanned Systems group in HII’s Mission Technologies division. “By bringing together advanced unmanned platforms, autonomy, integration, simulation and modeling capabilities, we are expanding our ability to deliver the maritime systems our customers need while continuing to create high-quality jobs here in Massachusetts.”
Keating has been a longtime supporter of HII’s operations in Massachusetts and served as a keynote speaker at the 2014 grand opening of HII’s unmanned production facility.
“HII’s continued growth on Cape Cod demonstrates how investments in advanced maritime technology can strengthen our national security while supporting good jobs and economic opportunity here in Massachusetts,” Keating said. “I was proud to join HII for the opening of the Pocasset manufacturing facility, and it is exciting to see how the company’s capabilities and workforce have continued to grow. The technologies being developed here strengthen the Blue Economy, support our maritime communities and help ensure the United States remains at the forefront of ocean innovation.”
HII currently employs approximately 300 people in Pocasset and has added 50 employees year to date in 2026, continuing a pattern of workforce growth in recent years. The expansion reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to Cape Cod and New England as a center for maritime technology development, advanced manufacturing and highly skilled employment.
HII’s unmanned systems heritage on Cape Cod is closely connected to its longstanding technology development partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The collaboration has helped advance autonomous underwater technology and reflects the region’s concentration of scientific research, engineering and maritime expertise.
The technologies developed and produced in Pocasset support a broad range of missions. Beyond defense and national security applications, HII’s unmanned and autonomous systems support ocean exploration, academic and scientific research, environmental monitoring and commercial maritime operations.
REMUS UUVs provide autonomous undersea capabilities for missions ranging from oceanographic research and environmental monitoring to defense operations. HII’s ROMULUS USV family extends autonomous capabilities to the surface domain, while Odyssey autonomy provides a foundation for increasingly integrated autonomous operations. Together with HII’s advanced simulation and modeling capabilities, these technologies are designed to help customers plan, test and execute complex maritime autonomous and unmanned missions.
The REMUS family of UUVs, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2026, has been field-proven in naval and maritime operations around the world. HII has delivered more than 750 REMUS vehicles to customers in more than 30 countries, including 14 NATO members. More than 90% of REMUS systems delivered over the past 25 years remain in active service today.
The expanded Pocasset facility reinforces HII’s commitment to developing advanced maritime capabilities in Massachusetts while investing in the workforce and communities that support them.
About HII
HII is America’s largest shipbuilder, delivering the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain mission technologies, including unmanned systems, to U.S. and allied defense customers. HII is the largest producer of unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy and the world.
With a more than 140-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII builds and integrates defense capabilities extending from the core fleet to C6ISR, AI/ML, EW and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 45,000 strong. For more information, visit:
- HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/
- HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHII
- HII on X: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHII
- HII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII
- HII on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearehii
Contact:
Greg McCarthy
(202) 264-7126
[email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33bde021-8676-4557-a280-0910a6d53937
