HII and Shield AI Complete First Autonomy Test on ROMULUS Vessel

Nov 10, 2025
HII and Shield AI have successfully tested their integrated autonomy system on the ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel, marking the first maritime deployment of Shield AI’s Hivemind software.

HII and Shield AI have completed the first major test of their integrated autonomy system aboard HII’s ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel, announced in a press release. The three-day trial took place in late October in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and marked the first maritime use of Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software.

The test combined Hivemind, deployed through the Hivemind Enterprise software development kit, with HII’s Odyssey autonomy suite on a ROMULUS 20 vessel. The integration was completed in less than six weeks after the companies formed their partnership.

HII’s ROMULUS line is built for modularity and rapid production. The lead vessel, ROMULUS 190, is under construction and is designed to exceed 25 knots and operate up to 2,500 nautical miles. It will feature both Odyssey and Hivemind systems for advanced autonomous operations.

Hivemind enables unmanned systems to conduct missions in GPS- and communications-denied environments. Through this collaboration, HII and Shield AI plan to integrate Hivemind and Odyssey across the ROMULUS fleet to support multi-agent autonomy and coordination with crewed naval groups.

We hope you enjoyed this article

Consider subscribing to one of our newsletters like Defense AI Brief, Robotics Brief or Daily AI Brief.

Also, consider following us on social media:

Defense AI Brief AI & Robotics AI Brief AI Brief (X)
Free newsletter

Defense AI Brief

Your weekly intelligence briefing on the technology shaping modern warfare and national security.

AI Token Webinar

Industry analysis

2025 Global Business Services Agenda: Gen AI Takes Center Stage

The Hackett Group

This industry analysis by The Hackett Group explores the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) on global business services (GBS) in 2025. The study highlights the shift from exploration to acceleration of Gen AI initiatives, with 89% of executives advancing these projects to improve customer satisfaction, innovate products, and reduce costs. The report also discusses the challenges and strategies for successful Gen AI adoption, emphasizing the need for a technology-enabled operating model and the importance of reskilling the workforce.

Read more

You may also like

Free, six days a week

Daily AI Brief: the AI news that matters, in your inbox.