HII Installs Plaque on First ROMULUS 151 Vessel
The commemorative hull plaque was installed in Louisiana, where the first ROMULUS 151 autonomous surface vessel was completed.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Robotics
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) installed a commemorative hull plaque on the first ROMULUS 151 autonomous surface vessel in Louisiana, with Governor Jeff Landry, Vice Admiral Michael Wosje, HII President and CEO Chris Kastner, and Brannon Breaux in attendance. ROMULUS is a family of modular, AI-enabled unmanned surface vessels.
Why it matters
The ceremony marks a milestone in HII's effort to move the ROMULUS program into production, with manufacturing spread across a growing Louisiana network of shipyards and suppliers. The vessels are designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, mine countermeasures, strike operations, and countering unmanned systems.
ROMULUS platforms run on HII's Odyssey Autonomous Control Solutions and can launch and recover unmanned underwater and aerial vehicles. The source does not provide specific processing, endurance, or range specifications for the vessel.
The players
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII)
HII is a major American defense shipbuilder that builds and maintains naval vessels for the U.S. Navy.
Jeff Landry
Jeff Landry is the Governor of Louisiana, a state that has become a hub for HII's ROMULUS manufacturing network.
Chris Kastner
Chris Kastner is the President and CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries, overseeing the company's shipbuilding and autonomous vessel programs.
The details
HII and Breaux Brothers Enterprises completed and flipped the first ROMULUS 151 hull, and the plaque was installed during the Louisiana ceremony. Odyssey software lets the vessels navigate, manage onboard systems and payloads, and coordinate with crewed and uncrewed platforms.
Timeline
March 2026: HII partnered with engineering firm Nominal to analyze ROMULUS and REMUS operational data.
June 2026: A dedicated production line for structural components opened in Slidell, Louisiana, with Bayou Metal Supply & Manufacturing.
July 2026: Halimar Shipyard was added to the ROMULUS manufacturing network.
September 2026: Structural build of the first ROMULUS 151 was completed.
November 3, 2026: The hull plaque ceremony was held in Louisiana.
The Tech Race
The ROMULUS program extends the Navy's push toward unmanned surface vessels by moving autonomous naval platforms from prototype into a modular, AI-enabled production line. Its use of the Odyssey control system places HII in competition with other defense contractors developing autonomous maritime systems.
For most readers, the ROMULUS program affects defense procurement and Louisiana manufacturing employment rather than daily life. Direct consumer effects are not described in the source.
The takeaway
Autonomous naval vessels are moving from development into manufacturing, and Louisiana is becoming a key production base for that shift. Readers following defense technology can watch how the program's output and contracts develop in the coming year.
Further reading
Explore more on Robotics for context on autonomous vessel development across the state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Defense Post.
