Bayou Metal Supply & Manufacturing has launched a dedicated production line in Slidell, Louisiana, to accelerate manufacturing of HII's ROMULUS unmanned surface vessels, according to a company announcement.

The new facility provides precision cutting, bending, welding, and assembly of structural components for the ROMULUS platform. Completed assemblies are shipped to Breaux Brothers Enterprises for final integration of the unmanned surface vessels.

HII (NYSE: HII) announced plans for production of four ROMULUS 151 vessels to be built by Breaux Brothers Enterprises in Louisiana, in addition to a vessel currently under construction. The company describes ROMULUS as a modular family of AI-enabled unmanned surface vessels designed for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, mine countermeasures, and strike operations.

"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 the company's Mission Technologies division.

Bayou Metals serves as HII's strategic aluminum supply and fabrication partner, providing marine-grade aluminum while establishing manufacturing capacity to meet production schedules. The partnership aims to reduce delays in securing materials and building components before final assembly at shipyards.

William Stout, chief executive officer of Bayou Metal, stated the company remains committed to providing materials and partnerships to the marine and shipbuilding sectors.

The manufacturing arrangement supports expansion of U.S. shipbuilding industrial base capacity along the Gulf Coast. HII positions itself as the largest military shipbuilder in the United States and describes the ROMULUS platform as engineered for serial, repeatable production across multiple vessel sizes.