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EPISODE · Feb 11, 2026 · 20 MIN

What a ‘hybrid fleet’ could mean for the US Navy

from Mission Critical Podcast · host Ryan Robertson

Episode 2 of Mission Critical is going to the drones! Host Ryan Robertson explores the concept of maritime Manned-Unmanned Teaming, also called Hybrid fleets. HII’s Romulus family of Unmanned Surface Vessels is poised to play a big part of future operations in both the U.S. and British navies.  Robertson talks with Eric Chewning, the head of HII’s Dark Sea Labs, and Sir Nick Hine, the former Second Sea Lord of the British Royal Navy and current Maritime chief executive for Babcock International. This episode also covers the latest on the U.S. Navy’s future jet fighter, the F/A-XX; new plans for the much-maligned Littoral Combat Ships; and explores an early part of the history of naval aviation.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 11, 2026

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