The company
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February 17, 2026
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4 min read
HII Teams with the company to Integrate advanced AI automation into Manned and Unmanned Shipbuilding
HII (NYSE: HII) and the company signed a memorandum of understanding to explore integrating its advanced AI automation for welding into shipbuilding operations, accelerating throughput and strengthening the maritime industrial base.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, (Feb. 17, 2026) â HII (NYSE: HII) and the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) today to explore the integration of the automation providerâs advanced AI automation for welding into shipbuilding operations that could accelerate throughput, strengthen the maritime industrial base, and augment the shipbuilding workforce. The MOU signing ceremony took place in the industryâ headquarters and was attended by Eric Chewning, HIIâs executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy, and Andy Lonsberry, the automation provider CEO and co-founder.
âWe are excited to partner with the company to incorporate their state-of-the-art advanced AI automation models to further augment our workforce and speed up U.S. Navy manned and unmanned shipbuilding production. Our shipbuilding throughput was up 14% in 2025 and we are looking for an additional 15% increase in 2026. By working with new partners like the company, we can further accelerate shipbuilding production. I look forward to jointly developing an autonomous AI-based welding solution that can help us meet Navy standards and be scaled in our shipyard facilities. Navigating this transformational partnership has the potential to increase our throughput efficiency without sacrificing quality.â
â Eric Chewning, Executive Vice President of Maritime Systems and Corporate Strategy, HII
HII and the company will work to identify and potentially pursue future opportunities in three areas that include autonomous shipbuilding capability development, train a workforce to extend automation and establish an intellectual property framework for advanced AI automation-based autonomous welding systems. In addition, the companies will pursue research and development around integrating the companyâs advanced AI automation models with other innovative shipbuilding technologies used in the construction of HII ships, to include HIIâs ROMULUS line of unmanned surface vehicles. Together these technologies would augment the welding workforce, automate structural production, and accelerate throughput to advance national security objectives.
âPartnering with the nationâs largest military shipbuilder during such a critical time for national defense and manufacturing underscores the importance of what weâre building in the industry. Welding is one of the hardest processes to automate in any industry, and shipbuilding is no exception. the companyâs advanced AI automation is purpose-built for that challenge â seeing, understanding, and adapting to real world conditions in real time. Weâre honored to work alongside HII to help modernize defense manufacturing and strengthen the naval industrial base for decades to come.â
â Andy Lonsberry, CEO and Co-Founder, the company
Eric Chewning, HII Executive Vice President, and Andy Lonsberry, the company CEO, at the MOU signing ceremony in the industry headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.
Prior to the MOU signing ceremony, attendees from HII, local dignitaries and the company stakeholders walked the the automation provider factory floor and observed robotic welding demonstrations in the automation providerâs new intelligence center. The demonstrations showcased how the automation provider systems may be applicable to naval fabrication work, ranging from heavy foundations to large, complex ship structural assemblies. The technology showed how an autonomous welding system can adapt to unpredictable shipyard conditions, such as fit variations, complex joint types and different materials.
the companyâs advanced AI automation model for welding, Obsidianâ¢, and proprietary sensing and vision system transforms a traditional industrial robot arm from a rigid, repeat-only machine into a real-time perception and decision-making system that can see, understand, and adapt to the variations of a shipbuilding environment.
Currently, HII shipbuilders perform specialized, high-tolerance welding and direct weld support activities on large, complex ship structures without an AI-based autonomous welding capability. HII divisions use automated robot welders that require human collaboration â they are traditional panel line units, cobot welders that work alongside shipbuilders, or mechanized welders that follow pre-programmed paths. AI-driven autonomous welding technology presents a promising potential opportunity to expand distributed shipbuilding capacity and augment HIIâs skilled workforce to accelerate delivery and meet the U.S. Navyâs growing demand.
About HII
HII is Americaâs largest shipbuilder, delivering the worldâs most powerful ships and all-domain mission technologies, including unmanned systems, to U.S. and allied defense customers. HII is the largest producer of unmanned underwater vehicles for the U.S. Navy and the world.
With a more than 140-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII builds and integrates defense capabilities extending from the core fleet to C6ISR, AI/ML, EW and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HIIâs workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit HII.com.
About the company
the company builds advanced AI automation for manufacturing, starting with its welding model, Obsidianâ¢. the automation providerâs intelligent welding cells perform the complex, variable welds that traditional automation cannot, enabling manufacturers to overcome chronic labor shortages while increasing production capacity, and improving quality. Since its founding in 2018, the automation provider has raised more than $300 million to incorporate intelligence through advanced AI automation into legacy manufacturing processes, turning traditionally impossible-to-automate work into reliable, high-throughput, and high-quality production. By combining artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision, the automation providerâs advanced AI automation enables legacy manufacturing processes to see, think, and adapt, in real time, turning the complexity that made automating these traditional processes impossible into a reality.
