Global defense and technologies partner HII announced today the delivery of three REMUS 100 unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) to the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy. The new systems bring enhanced endurance and the latest generation of sensors and payloads, allowing for increased data quality and mission efficiency. With these new systems, the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence has acquired a mix of REMUS 100s and REMUS 600s used for mine countermeasure operations over the last 20 years. The Ministry of Defence’s first two REMUS 100s, acquired in 2002, are still in operation today. HII has sold more than 600 UUVs to 30 countries worldwide, including 14 NATO member countries like the U.K.
“We’re proud to continue our longstanding partnership with the U.K. Royal Navy. Our newest REMUS 100s will bolster their existing fleet with increased capability for the U.K.’s subsea autonomous operations,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of the Unmanned Systems business group at HII’s Mission Technologies division.
“On behalf of the frontline users, I’m delighted to accept into service this refresh of REMUS 100. Our use of the REMUS family of vehicles over the last two decades has paved the way for a future mine countermeasures capability with autonomy at its core. ,” said Cmdr. Rory Armstrong, mine warfare lead at the U.K. Navy Command Headquarters.
The REMUS (Remote Environmental Monitoring UnitS) series are autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) made by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and designed by their Oceanographic Systems Lab (OSL). The series are designed to be low cost, they have shared control software and electronic subsystems and can be operated from a laptop computer. They are used by civilians for seafloor mapping, underwater surveying, and search and recovery as well as by several navies for mine countermeasures missions. There are four variants of the REMUS, all are torpedo-shaped vessels with reconfigurable sensors.
HII is an all-domain defense and technologies partner, recognized worldwide as America’s largest shipbuilder. With a 135-year history of trusted partnerships in advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities ranging from the most powerful and survivable naval ships ever built, to unmanned systems, ISR and AI/ML analytics. HII leads the industry in mission-driven solutions that support and enable an all-domain force. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s skilled workforce is 44,000 strong. HII’s motto of “Hard Stuff Done Right” speaks to the challenging and complex challenges we tackle inside and outside the walls of the office and shipyard. These words also convey our unwavering commitment to tackling these challenges well and ethically.
