HII unveils next-gen framework for integrated manned-unmanned warfare

April 20, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

American military shipbuilding company HII has unveiled a next-generation framework for joint, mission-enabled maritime operations.

The framework integrates HII’s portfolio of naval warships, modular and containerized capabilities, autonomous unmanned systems, and open-architecture mission technologies. According to HII, this is aligned with the US Navy Chief of Naval Operations’ “Hedge Strategy” Fighting Instructions.

HII’s approach spans maritime, air, space, cyber and land domains that allow commanders to generate intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and combat power from anywhere in the battlespace.

Specifically, the framework includes:

Integrating core manned fleet and autonomous unmanned capabilities;
Data-driven command and control of autonomous platforms;
Containerized, modular, rapidly deployable effects;
HII’s open architecture strategy.

“This is about connecting platforms and enabling the mission,” said Eric Chewning, executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy at HII.

“Through open architecture, modular design, and rapid deployment models, we enable seamless integration of advanced technologies across platforms. By investing in autonomy and AI, we ensure that the U.S. Navy, Joint Force, and allied navies can adapt in real time to emerging threats using scalable, interoperable solutions.”

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Integration of naval platforms

The framework enables coordinated operations across a network of manned and unmanned platforms, according to HII.

Key elements include:

Surface combatants equipped with common control stations to manage unmanned systems;
The ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel, designed to extend sensing and strike capabilities through modular payloads;
The Minotaur Mission Management System, which fuses multi-domain sensor data into a unified operational picture;
The Odyssey Autonomous Control System, coordinating operations across multiple unmanned assets;
The REMUS unmanned underwater vehicle expands the battlespace into the undersea domain.

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UUV/UAV
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UUV/UAV

HII was clear that its concept is designed to complement traditional naval power structures. Aircraft carrier strike groups remain central to US force projection, but unmanned and distributed systems extend their reach and complicate adversary targeting.

By linking dispersed assets into a unified network, the framework will enable commanders to deliver coordinated effects across vast distances with increased speed and precision.