HII has expanded its unmanned maritime systems facility in Massachusetts by 25%, adding 10,000 square feet of manufacturing space for underwater and surface vehicles including the US Navy’s Lionfish programme, according to the company.
The expansion takes the Pocasset facility from 40,000 to 50,000 square feet and increases capacity for the development, production and integration of autonomous maritime systems. Work at the site includes HII’s REMUS family of uncrewed underwater vehicles and its ROMULUS uncrewed surface vessels, as well as autonomy software and associated modelling and simulation.
Additional production space will support the US Navy’s Lionfish small uncrewed undersea vehicle, which is derived from HII’s commercial REMUS 300 design and is already in production. The Navy exercised another contract option for Lionfish production in July, while the expanded plant will also manufacture the larger REMUS 620 UUV.
The site is also being used to integrate HII’s Odyssey Autonomous Control Solutions, including autonomy hardware intended for ROMULUS surface vessels. HII said the software is being developed for missions involving different vehicle types and includes simulation and modelling tools for planning and testing autonomous operations.
Duane Fotheringham, president of the Unmanned Systems group within HII’s Mission Technologies division, said: “By bringing together advanced unmanned platforms, autonomy, integration, simulation and modeling capabilities, we are expanding our ability to deliver the maritime systems our customers need while continuing to create high-quality jobs here in Massachusetts.”
HII currently employs around 300 people at Pocasset and said it has added 50 employees there during 2026. The company’s work in the area has longstanding links with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, with the two organisations having collaborated on autonomous underwater technology.
The REMUS family is used for military, oceanographic, scientific and environmental missions. HII said it has delivered more than 750 REMUS vehicles to customers in more than 30 countries, including 14 NATO members, and that more than 90% of the systems delivered during the past 25 years remain in service.
The Pocasset expansion increases HII’s capacity to produce both underwater vehicles and surface systems at a time when the company is developing a broader range of autonomous maritime platforms for US and allied customers.
