MCLEAN, Va., May 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII (NYSE: HII), in partnership with MetalCraft Marine, has delivered and sea tested two unmanned surface vessels (USV) awarded in a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) contract for smaller form factor autonomous boat prototypes for the U.S. Marine Corps.
The two ROMULUS-25 autonomous USVs were delivered in December 2025 and supported successful testing and demonstration of advanced autonomous mission behaviors at sea.
“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,” said Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Mission Technologies division. “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.”
The ROMULUS-25 is a 27-foot high-speed interceptor vessel designed to deliver up to 1,000 pounds of payload with a 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.
Photos accompanying this release are available at: http://hii.com/news/hii-metalcraft-marine-deliver-next-generation-autonomous-usv-prototypes-for-us-marine-corps/,
Over the past five years, Odyssey autonomy has been validated through more than 2,200 hours of autonomous operations during government-led tests and exercises.
Odyssey autonomy has been deployed on more than 30 platforms, accumulating over 12,000 hours of successful at-sea operations. Its modular open systems architecture (MOSA), service-based design enables integration with the HII Minotaur targeting network, enhancing mission-level operations and edge capabilities through AI-based contact recognition and identification.
The ROMULUS-25 is part of HII’s broader family of USVs, which range from 7-foot micro-USVs to the ROMULUS-190, a 190-foot aluminum USV capable of carrying multiple containerized payloads.
The successful execution of this 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.
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 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:
Contact:
Greg McCarthy
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d6b40bfd-e528-4bd8-9a90-4061ac27b6ab
