On November 5 2025, Huntington Ingalls Industries and Australian shipbuilder Incat Crowther announced a joint venture to develop the ROMULUS family of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney. The partnership centers on the ROMULUS 190, a 190‑foot, AI‑enabled platform that can exceed 25 knots, travel 2,500 nautical miles, and carry four 40‑foot ISO containers. The vessel will be powered by HII’s Odyssey Autonomous Control System, which has already been field‑tested on more than 35 USV platforms and logged over 6,000 operational hours.
The collaboration brings Incat Crowther’s advanced digital shipbuilding expertise and regional engineering agility to the program, while additional partners Breaux Brothers, Beier Integrated Systems, Shield AI, Applied Intuition, and C3 AI contribute specialized technologies. Shield AI’s Hivemind software has been integrated and tested with Odyssey on the ROMULUS 20 prototype, and Applied Intuition’s simulation tools are slated to accelerate design cycles. The alliance positions HII to expand its Mission Technologies portfolio and deepen its footprint in the Indo‑Pacific, reinforcing interoperability with allied navies and aligning with the AUKUS defense framework.
HII’s Q3 2025 financial results, released on October 30 2025, provide a backdrop for the partnership. The company reported record sales of $3.2 billion, up 16.1 % year‑over‑year, and diluted earnings per share of $3.68, beating analyst expectations of $3.35 by $0.33 (9.9 %). The earnings beat was driven by strong demand in both shipbuilding and Mission Technologies segments. Shipbuilding revenue rose 24.7 % to $828 million, while Mission Technologies revenue increased 11 % to $787 million, reflecting higher volumes of autonomous systems and sustained pricing power.
Management highlighted the partnership’s strategic importance. President and CEO Chris Kastner said, “The future fight demands speed, agility, and resilience, all embedded in the Odyssey‑powered ROMULUS family. By matching U.S. shipbuilding strength with decades of unmanned systems expertise, we are delivering a mission‑ready, swarm USV capability built for the next generation of operations.” Andy Green, head of Mission Technologies, added, “ROMULUS is a force multiplier. Combining U.S. shipbuilding strength, AI‑driven autonomy, and international partners like Incat Crowther, we are delivering an adaptable, scalable system for today’s and tomorrow’s maritime missions.”
The partnership also signals a broader shift toward autonomous maritime capabilities in the Indo‑Pacific. Analysts note that the global autonomous ships market is projected to grow from $6.04 billion in 2023 to $13.41 billion by 2030, with defense applications expected to drive a significant portion of that growth. HII’s integration of Odyssey with Shield AI and other AI platforms positions it to capture a larger share of this expanding market, while the collaboration with Incat Crowther strengthens Australia’s role in the global defense industrial base.
The market reaction to HII’s earnings was positive, with analysts citing the company’s strong execution and the strategic value of the ROMULUS partnership as key drivers. The earnings beat and revenue growth reinforced confidence in HII’s ability to leverage its shipbuilding heritage and autonomous technology expertise to drive future growth.
The partnership’s success will depend on continued investment in AI and digital shipbuilding, as well as the ability to scale production and integrate complex systems across multiple partners. HII’s focus on cost discipline, operational leverage, and strategic collaborations positions it well to navigate headwinds such as supply‑chain constraints and geopolitical uncertainties while capitalizing on tailwinds from increased defense spending in the Indo‑Pacific.
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