Statement by Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Mission Technologies division, on the U.S. Navy’s selection of HII’s ROMULUS Unmanned Surface Vessel to advance to the at-sea testing phase of the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program: “HII is proud that ROMULUS USV has advanced to the U.S. Navy’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel evaluation phase, a milestone that reflects HII’s longstanding track record for delivering mission-ready autonomous capabilities that support the U.S. Navy’s evolving operational requirements. At the core of the ROMULUS USV is HII’s extensive experience as a global leader in autonomous unmanned maritime systems, combined with HII’s Odyssey Autonomous Control Solutions, a proven autonomy software suite and a key differentiator of our solution. Demonstrated across programs supporting the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, and allied partners, Odyssey enables intuitive command and control of autonomous platforms and swarms across domains, enhancing fleet lethality, survivability, and operational effectiveness. We appreciate the U.S. Navy’s confidence in ROMULUS and look forward to demonstrating the platform’s maturity, reliability, and operational effectiveness in support of the service’s vision for autonomous maritime operations.”
Built by HII, America’s largest shipbuilder, and powered by Odyssey Advanced Autonomy Solutions®, ROMULUS™ is a high-endurance, 25+knot family of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) engineered for sustained open-ocean operations, rapid reconfiguration and cost-efficient production. The ROMULUS family of Unmanned Surface Vessels is designed to meet the current and emerging requirements of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, joint forces, and allies. They deliver high-endurance, sustained open-ocean autonomy with a focus on lethality, cost, efficiency and scalability. The ROMULUS family of USVs will support missions including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; counter-unmanned air systems; mine countermeasures; strike; and the launch and recovery of unmanned underwater vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). ROMULUS™ integrates with HII’s REMUS unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs), HII’s Mission Management System and the Odyssey™ suite of autonomy solutions to provide a unified control framework that connects airborne, undersea, surface and crewed assets to coordinate data collection and effect delivery across domains.
Feature:
- Dimensions: ~190’ long
- Speed: 25+ knots
Endurance: Extended, sustained open-ocean operations - Design: Commercial-standard hull for durability and rapid production
- Modularity: Supports a wide range of payloads, sensors, and weapon systems
- Launch & Recovery: Compatible with REMUS UUVs, UAVs, and smaller ROMULUS USVs
- Autonomy: Individual or swarm control, Odyssey-powered multi-domain operations
- Integration: Capable of integrated manned/unmanned teaming for refueling and resupply
Built with leading industry partners Breaux Brothers, Beier Integrated Systems, and Incat Crowther, ROMULUS features a commercial-standard hull optimized for rapid, repeatable production, and mission-ready deployment. Through collaborations with Shield AI, Applied Intuition, and C3 AI, ROMULUS expands its autonomy, object classification, and lifecycle sustainment capabilities. Odyssey’s open-standard, government-aligned architecture allows rapid integration of new sensors, payloads, and third-party autonomy technology. This open-access approach enables industry, government, and academia to test and refine capabilities, ensuring ROMULUS evolves in step with emerging naval concepts of operations. All of which align ROMULUS with the goals of major emerging programs, including the U.S. Navy’s Modular Attack Surface Craft (MASC), the U.S. Marine Corps’ Long Range Unmanned Surface Vessel (LRUSV), and next-generation naval unmanned programs. 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.
