Huntington Ingalls Industries has entered into performance-based production agreements valued at up to $900 million with GrayMatter Robotics and Path Robotics to expand physical AI and robotic automation across US Navy shipbuilding programmes.
The seven-year High-Yield Production Robotics programme is intended to introduce adaptive automation into the construction of crewed and uncrewed naval platforms. Planned capabilities include robotic welding, automated material handling, surface treatment and quality inspection.
The initiative is designed to address several persistent challenges facing US shipyards. These include shortages of skilled workers, ageing infrastructure, limited production space and repeated schedule delays. The problems are particularly significant in complex fabrication and assembly operations that require several specialized processes to work together.
Under HYPR, automation will cover a broad structural workflow, ranging from cutting and fitting through welding, treatment, inspection and coating. HII plans proof-of-concept demonstrations in 2026 and a full pilot programme in 2027.
The agreements will be implemented in development and delivery stages. During development, HII and its partners will qualify autonomous systems for various shipbuilding tasks and prepare them for integration into a Navy-standard production line. During delivery, work will initially focus on smaller steel structures before expanding to larger modules.
HII expects to outsource more than 2.5 million hours of shipbuilding work in 2026, representing a 30 percent increase over 2025. The broader effort supports US plans to expand naval capacity and modernize the maritime industrial base.
The Navy’s long-term plan seeks to increase the fleet beyond 450 vessels in the early 2030s. The service currently has 291 battle-force ships, below the legally established 355-ship benchmark. Funding plans include major allocations for surface combatants, submarines, aircraft carriers, amphibious ships and unmanned maritime systems.
