HII’s Autonomous Interceptor Boat Prototypes for US Marines Pass Final DIU Trials

HII has finalized critical testing of its Watcher unmanned surface vessel (USV) testbeds under a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) initiative aimed at fielding next-generation small interceptor drone boats for the US Marine Corps.

The milestone concludes DIU’s Production-Ready, Inexpensive, Maritime Expeditionary (PRIME) prototype project, which challenges industry to use commercially available platforms to develop systems for forward-deployed amphibious missions.

It covered evaluations of two Watcher systems delivered in late 2025, both developed with Ontario-based MetalCraft Marine using HII’s ROMULUS-25 USV and equipped with the Odyssey autonomy suite.

Read the full story on our new publication, The Drone Front: HII’s Autonomous Interceptor Boat Prototypes for US Marines Pass Final DIU Trials