HII has announced 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 to support accelerated construction of the platform.
“As we move from prototype to production, partnerships like Bayou Metals are essential to delivering capability at speed and scale,” executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Mission Technologies division, Andy Green, stated.
“Their ability to combine material supply with advanced fabrication strengthens our production model, reduces risk, and accelerates delivery the Romulus USV to the fleet.”
The new production line, located in Slidell, Louisiana, provides 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.
Bayou Metals is playing a critical role on HII’s Romulus USV shipbuilding team as a strategic aluminium supply and fabrication partner. The company is providing marine-grade aluminium while establishing dedicated manufacturing capacity to meet the Romulus USV production schedule.
“Bayou Metal is proud to continue its longstanding relationship with and support of industry leaders such as HII and Breaux Brothers. We remain committed to providing world-class service, quality materials, and trusted partnerships to the marine and shipbuilding sectors for years to come," chief executive officer of Bayou Metal, William Stout, said.
HII’s integrated coordination with Bayou Metals and other manufacturing partners ensures avoiding 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, the effort supports expansion of the US 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 US Navy and allied partners.
“Romulus represents a shift in how we deliver unmanned capability to the fleet,” Green highlighted. “We are combining shipbuilding experience, scalable manufacturing, proven autonomy, and strong industry partnerships to move quickly from prototype to operational deployment.”