New Bayou Metal production line supports Romulus USV production

Photo: Bayou Metal Supply & Manufacturing

HII (NYSE: HII) reports that Bayou Metal Supply & Manufacturing, a strategic partner in the serial production of HII’s Romulus unmanned surface vessels (USVs) has launched a dedicated manufacturing line at its Slidell, La., facility to support accelerated construction of the platform.

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

HII says that Bayou Metals is playing a critical role on the Romulus USV shipbuilding team as a strategic aluminum supply and fabrication partner. The company is providing marine-grade aluminum while establishing dedicated manufacturing capacity to meet the Romulus production schedule.

“As we move from prototype to production, partnerships like Bayou Metals are essential to delivering capability at speed and scale,” said Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Mission Technologies division. “Their ability to combine material supply with advanced fabrication strengthens our production model, reduces risk, and accelerates delivery the Romulus USV to the fleet.”

“Bayou Metal is proud to continue its longstanding relationship with and support of industry leaders such as HII and Breaux Brothers,” said Bayou Metal CEO William Stout. “We remain committed to providing world-class service, quality materials, and trusted partnerships to the marine and shipbuilding sectors for years to come.”

HII says that its integrated coordination with Bayou Metals and other manufacturing partners ensures the avoidance of delays in securing materials and building parts. It also makes production more efficient by completing most of the setup work before final assembly at the shipyard. This model enhances throughput and supports faster, more repeatable serial production of Romulus vessels across multiple shipyards.

In addition to improving manufacturing performance, notes HII, the effort supports expansion of the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base by growing Gulf Coast manufacturing capacity and building a larger skilled workforce.

HII recently announced plans for the production of four Romulus 151 vessels to be built by Breaux Brothers Enterprises in Louisiana, in addition to the vessel currently under construction. The announcement signals a rapid transition to initial production as HII accelerates delivery of autonomous surface capability to the U.S. Navy and allied partners.

“Romulus represents a shift in how we deliver unmanned capability to the fleet,” Green said. “We are combining shipbuilding experience, scalable manufacturing, proven autonomy, and strong industry partnerships to move quickly from prototype to operational deployment.”

Romulus USV: Built for scale and mission flexibility

Romulus is a modular family of AI-enabled USVs designed to support a wide range of missions, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), mine countermeasures, strike operations, counter-unmanned systems, and the launch and recovery of unmanned underwater and aerial vehicles.

Engineered for serial, repeatable production, the platform combines endurance, global reach, and modular adaptability, enabling scalability across multiple vessel sizes while maintaining a common manufacturing and autonomy baseline.