HII and MetalCraft Marine have delivered two autonomous surface vessel prototypes to the US Marine Corps following a contract award from the Defense Innovation Unit. These craft were delivered in December 2025 and have supported sea testing to demonstrate autonomous mission behaviours.
The 27-foot (8.2-metre) high-speed interceptor vessels are designed to transport payloads of up to 1,000 pounds (453.6 kilograms). An operational range of 1,000 nautical miles (1,852 kilometres) is supported by the craft's design.
HII stated that the prototypes use an artificial intelligence-based autonomy system that integrates multiple sensors to support coordinated maritime operations. Such technology is intended for use by the US Marine Corps as well as US and allied navies.
Executive Vice President of HII and President of HII’s Mission Technologies division Andy Green said that the autonomy system, “builds on thousands of hours of successful at-sea operations.”
HII mentioned that the underlying autonomy software has been validated through more than 2,200 hours of operations during government-led tests over the last five years, with total at-sea operations for the system across more than 30 platforms reaching 12,000 hours.
The modular architecture of the system allows for integration with the Minotaur targeting network. The company noted this capability is intended to enhance mission-level operations and edge capabilities through contact recognition.
