HII bolsters Romulus USV production capacity

Bayou Metal Supply & Manufacturing, has started a dedicated Romulus USV production line, shown here. HII is expanding its USV manufacturing capacity. (Bayou Metal Supply & Manufacturing)

HII is expanding its capacity to build Romulus unmanned surface vessels (USVs) under a new partnership agreement with Halimar Shipyard of Morgan City, Louisiana, HII confirmed on 6 July.

Under the partnership, Halimar will construct complete Romulus 151 vessels and support serial production in collaboration with Breaux Brothers Enterprises in Louisiana, where five of the USVs are currently under construction, HII said in a 6 July release.

The partnership will help HII build “the industrial capacity needed to deliver autonomous maritime capability at scale”, Andy Green, HII executive vice president and HII Mission Technologies president, said in statement.

Halimar's workforce and strategic Gulf Coast location strengthen HII's ability to accelerate production and improve supply chain resilience, Green said.

Halimar's facilities provide an established and expandable production foundation capable of producing complete Romulus 151 vessels while increasing output as unmanned surface vessel demand grows, HII said, adding the partnership also expands HII's distributed manufacturing concept.

Bayou Metal Supply & Manufacturing, another strategic partner in the serial production of HII's Romulus USVs, launched a dedicated manufacturing line to support accelerated construction of the platform, HII confirmed on 8 June.

Located in Slidell, Louisiana, the new production line provides cutting, bending, welding, and assembly of major structural components into complete assembly units ready for shipment to Breaux Brothers Enterprises for final Romulus assembly integration.

“We knew that [Romulus development] would fit with the CONOPS [concept of operations] for the direction the [US] Navy was going,” Green told reporters on 10 February during West 2026.