HII and Shield AI have successfully conducted a joint autonomy integration trial aboard the ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel (USV), advancing efforts to develop interoperable autonomous naval systems. The three-day test, carried out in late October and presented at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Expo, saw Shield AI’s Hivemind mission autonomy software operating in conjunction with HII’s Odyssey autonomy suite. The exercise marked the first deployment of Hivemind in a maritime setting, following its operational success on aerial platforms. The integration aimed to evaluate system compatibility, autonomy coordination, and operational safety in real-world sea conditions. According to both companies, the test confirmed the ability of the two autonomy frameworks to function jointly, enabling advanced mission execution with minimal human oversight. The ROMULUS 20 USV acted as the testing platform for assessing navigation, decision logic, and system reliability. HII stated that its Odyssey system is designed as an open, modular autonomy platform, supporting collaboration with third-party AI developers like Shield AI. Meanwhile, Shield AI emphasized that extending Hivemind’s application from air to sea demonstrates the adaptability of its autonomy stack across domains. The companies indicated that such developments align with growing naval interest in scalable, multi-vehicle autonomous operations to strengthen maritime surveillance, logistics, and defense capabilities. The trial reflects continued progress in the defense sector’s push toward integrated, networked autonomy for future naval warfare environments.
