HII has expanded its industrial base for unmanned maritime systems by adding Halimar Shipyard to its ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel (USV) production network, strengthening its ability to deliver autonomous capabilities at scale.
The partnership brings Halimar’s shipbuilding expertise, skilled workforce and modern facilities into HII’s distributed manufacturing model, supporting full-rate production of the ROMULUS 151 platform. Under the agreement, Halimar will construct complete vessels and collaborate with Breaux Brothers Enterprises, where multiple units are already under construction.
The move aims to accelerate production timelines and meet growing demand from the U.S. Navy and allied forces for autonomous maritime systems.
Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of the company’s Mission Technologies division, said:
“Our partnership with Halimar Shipyard represents another important step in building the industrial capacity needed to deliver autonomous maritime capability at scale. Halimar’s proven shipbuilding expertise, skilled workforce, and strategic Gulf Coast location strengthen our ability to accelerate production, improve supply chain resilience, and provide affordable, mission-ready autonomous systems.”
William Hidalgo Jr, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Halimar Shipyard, added:
“We are proud to partner with HII on the ROMULUS program and contribute to the future of autonomous maritime operations. Our team has decades of experience building high-quality vessels, and we look forward to applying that expertise to help deliver reliable, scalable production capacity that supports evolving mission needs.”
The inclusion of Halimar enhances scalable manufacturing capacity and reinforces a distributed shipbuilding model that improves supply chain resilience and increases surge production capability. HII’s approach integrates multiple shipyards and partners across the Gulf Coast to streamline fabrication, reduce lead times and enable consistent serial delivery.
The ROMULUS programme also leverages international design expertise, including contributions from Incat Crowther, to ensure performance, manufacturability and scalability across the vessel family.
Designed as a modular, AI-enabled platform, ROMULUS USVs support a wide range of missions including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, mine countermeasures, strike operations and counter-unmanned systems. The platform’s architecture enables repeatable production and rapid deployment, aligning with the evolving operational needs of modern naval forces.
