US launches construction of Romulus unmanned ship

American shipbuilder HII has begun construction of a new family of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) called Romulus, the company announced at the DSEI defense exhibition in London, Breaking Defense reports.

The flagship vessel, approximately 58 meters long, will be capable of carrying standard cargo containers and has a range of 2,500 nautical miles.

According to Duane Fotheringham, president of HII Mission Technologies’ unmanned systems division, the USV is based on a support boat platform upgraded for autonomous operation. Construction of the first vessel is expected to take 12 months. Once production processes are refined, HII plans to build four to five Romulus USVs annually.

The announcement follows an invitation from the U.S. Navy to participate in the Modular Attack Surface Craft program. HII representatives did not confirm participation, but Romulus meets most of the specifications outlined by the Navy for the new unmanned platform.

By Khagan Isayev