HII’s ROMULUS USV progresses

HII is building an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) called ROMULUS in partnership with several leaders in the field of autonomy, as it adjusts to changing customer demands and capabilities. Recently, HII completed trials of its ODYSSEY maritime autonomy stack in partnership with Shield AI, and reported that ROMULUS 190 – the flagship – was under construction with Australia’s Incat Cowther. 

HII is collaborating with Sydney-based Incat Crowther on the ROMULUS programme, with the partnership being featured at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition. This joint effort involves the construction of the flagship vessel, ROMULUS 190, which is currently underway and is being built on a commercial-standard hull to enable rapid and repeatable production, the press release explains. 

“This program is a milestone for Australian defense design and engineering. Our role in ROMULUS 190 is proof that Australia is not just a regional contributor, but a critical player in the global defense industrial base,” Dr. Andrew Tuite, the Technical Director of Incat Crowther said. The press release indicates that the build is progressing, and a development worth following as the ROMULUS is a large USV compared to many others in the field. However, many companies producing USVs have partnered with others for production, despite HII’s ostensible pedigree in the shipbuilding field. 

Saronic, for example, acquired Gulf Craft earlier this year to support its USV production whilst it builds its factory. Kraken partnered with NVL to expand its production potential, and Blue Ops partnered with Hodgdon Shipbuilding to build its USV 7. 

• Saronic acquires Gulf Craft to accelerate autonomous shipbuilding – Calibre Defence 
• NVL Kraken: German shipbuilder and British SME set up JV for USVs
• DSEI UK 2025: Blue Ops launches USV 7 production – Calibre Defence  

Given the number of players in this field, it appears likely that any challenges with USV production will be quickly overcome. However, it does seem that there is a limit to the size of vessel being considered. ROMULUS is one of the largest, 40 feet longer than the Marauder planned by Saronic, and more than seven times the length of USV 7. Bringing this technology into service will be a challenge, but an important one to overcome. 

Autonomy Integration Test with Shield AI

Separately, HII and Shield AI announced that they have successfully completed the first major test of their integrated autonomy solution aboard a ROMULUS 20 USV. The three-day test, conducted in late October in Virginia, integrated Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software with HII’s Odyssey autonomy suite using the Hivemind Enterprise software development kit (SDK).

This test marked the first maritime deployment of Hivemind, which enables AI-powered mission autonomy across domains. The integration was completed less than six weeks after the companies announced their partnership and is intended for Hivemind, which enables unmanned systems to perform complex missions in GPS- and communications-denied environments, to operate seamlessly alongside the Odyssey suite within the ROMULUS fleet. The lead vessel, ROMULUS 190, is designed to feature both Odyssey and Hivemind.

Tech profile: ROMULUS 190

The ROMULUS 190 is a 190-foot, AI-enabled USV built on a commercial-standard hull for rapid production. It is designed to complement HII’s REMUS uncrewed submersible, which is used for maritime reconnaissance. ROMULUS is designed for autonomy and global deployment, capable of speeds in excess of 25 knots and a range of 2,500 nautical miles while carrying four 40-foot ISO containers. This vessel is being developed in partnership with Incat Crowther, Breaux Brothers, and Beier Integrated Systems. Incat Crowther’s role in the ROMULUS 190 is cited as integration of Australian design and engineering expertise into the global defence industrial base.

The ROMULUS family of USVs is powered by HII’s Odyssey™ Autonomous Control System (ACS). The Odyssey ACS supports open-ocean autonomy, multi-agent swarming, and modular adaptability and has already been tested on HII’s ROMULUS 20, a smaller USV. The software suite is capable of manned-unmanned teaming and collaborative operations and is already deployed on over 35 USV platforms and over 750 REMUS Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) across 30 countries.

HII states that ROMULUS is designed for multi-mission and multi-domain flexibility, supporting operations including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), counter-unmanned air systems (C-UAS), mine countermeasures, strike, and the launch and recovery of UUVs and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). 

Calibre comment: When size matters

• DSEI 2025: SEA, KraitSense, and the ASW gap – Calibre Defence 
• Type 26; the right choice for Norway’s ASW – Calibre Defence
• Thales logs 100th order for CAPTAS towed sonar – Calibre Defence

 A lot of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities require systems like very large sonar arrays that can take up significant space. This is compounded by the need to deploy to open oceans for sustained periods of time. As a result, there is a firm requirement for larger vessels in the ASW role, which means that USVs are not able to replace them in all roles. This size and complexity increases the cost of the platforms, but USVs can at least help to alleviate some of the burden on the ship’s crews and resources. It follows that future force mixes will still rely extensively on large expensive ships like the Type 26, but use USVs to expand their reach. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on November 6th, 2025. Credit for the lead image is HII, it is a concept image of the ROMULUS 190.