HII Signs Agreements Worth Up to $900 Million to Bring Robotics Into U.S. Navy Shipbuilding

Path Robotics Launches Rove, a Mobile Welding Robot Designed to Transform Automated Manufacturing

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has signed seven-year, performance-based production agreements with Path Robotics and GrayMatter Robotics that could generate up to $900 million in shipbuilding work.

The agreements are aimed at bringing advanced robotics and physical-AI technologies into U.S. Navy shipbuilding programs, with the potential to support aircraft carriers, submarines, destroyers, amphibious ships, future frigates and unmanned surface vessels.

From Development to Ship Production

The agreements are structured around two stages: development and delivery. During development, HII will work with the two robotics companies to develop, test and qualify autonomous manufacturing processes before the systems are introduced into production.

The eventual $900 million in work is not guaranteed; it depends on the technologies meeting manufacturing-readiness, cost, schedule and quality requirements.

The initiative builds on HII's High-Yield Production Robotics (HYPR) program, launched earlier in 2026 with Path Robotics and GrayMatter Robotics. HII said HYPR is designed to combine physical AI and adaptive automation to accelerate fabrication of both crewed and uncrewed naval platforms.

Path Robotics Showcases AI-Powered Robotic Welding Technology Inside Its Advanced Manufacturing Facility

AI-Powered Welding and Automated Shipbuilding

Path Robotics offers AI-powered robotic welding, while GrayMatter Robotics brings automation for process inspection. Under the new agreements, the companies are expected to work on a wider range of operations, including welding, grinding, blasting, painting, assembly and inspection.

HII's partnership with Path Robotics dates back to February 2026, when the companies signed an MOU to explore the use of physical AI for welding in naval shipbuilding. HII said at the time that the technology could help augment its workforce and increase production speed.

Path Robotics Showcases Its New Robotic Welding Technology to HII Investors Inside an Advanced Manufacturing Facility

Expanding the U.S. Shipbuilding Industrial Base

The agreements come as the U.S. Navy seeks to expand fleet capacity while American shipyards face pressure from workforce and production constraints. HII says it plans to increase the amount of shipbuilding work performed outside its shipyards, allowing components and structures to be fabricated elsewhere before final assembly.

HII also previously partnered with GrayMatter Robotics to explore autonomous surface preparation, coating and inspection for shipbuilding. That April 2026 partnership laid part of the groundwork for integrating GrayMatter's physical-AI technology into HII's broader manufacturing strategy.

Author: Kevin Macmellon

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