Bayou Metal Supply & Manufacturing LLC has launched a dedicated manufacturing line at its Slidell, La., facility to support accelerated production of HII Inc.'s Romulus unmanned surface vessels (USV), the companies announced.
The new line performs precision cutting, bending, welding, and assembly of major structural aluminum components into complete units for shipment to Breaux Brothers Enterprises Inc. in Loreauville, La., where they are integrated into finished Romulus hulls.
Bayou Metals is supplying marine-grade aluminum and providing dedicated fabrication capacity aligned to the Romulus production schedule. HII said the arrangement is designed to reduce material lead times and complete most pre-assembly work before components arrive at the shipyard, improving throughput and repeatability across multiple build sites.
“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 its Mission Technologies division. “Their ability to combine material supply with advanced fabrication strengthens our production model, reduces risk, and accelerates delivery [of] the Romulus USV to the fleet.”
HII recently announced plans to build four additional Romulus 151 vessels through Breaux Brothers, beyond a vessel already under construction — a move the company described as a rapid transition to initial serial production.
William Stout, chief executive officer of Bayou Metal, said the company is "proud to continue its longstanding relationship with and support of industry leaders such as HII and Breaux Brothers," adding that it remains "committed to providing world-class service, quality materials, and trusted partnerships to the marine and shipbuilding sectors for years to come."
HII said the expanded industrial arrangement also supports broader growth of the U.S. shipbuilding base by adding Gulf Coast manufacturing capacity and skilled workforce development.
The Navy, which is seeking to rapidly expand its uncrewed vessel fleet, recently selected HII's Romulus as one of seven platforms to advance to at-sea testing …The Navy, which is seeking to rapidly expand its uncrewed vessel fleet, recently selected HII's Romulus as one of seven platforms to advance to at-sea testing under the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program.
Romulus is a modular, AI-enabled USV family designed for missions including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, mine countermeasures, strike operations, counter-unmanned systems, and the launch and recovery of unmanned underwater and aerial vehicles. HII describes the platform as engineered for serial production with a common manufacturing and autonomy baseline scalable across multiple vessel sizes.
"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."
