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.

The first episode of Mission Critical kicks off with a conversation at the heart of American sea power. Host Ryan Robertson speaks with Chris Kastner, President and CEO of HII, the nation’s largest warship builder, about the future of the U.S. Navy. From industrial capacity to new classes of warships, Kastner explains how HII is helping bring President Trump’s “Golden Fleet” vision to life—and what it means for U.S. maritime dominance.

Also included in this episode is an update on DDG 1000, the USS Zumwalt, as it gets underway for the first time since 2023. The US Navy is also preparing to take the next steps in its quest to field manned-unmanned teams, and Newport News Shipbuilding celebrates a major milestone.