HII recently announced the sale of seven more REMUS unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) to the U.K. Royal Navy, adding to the more than one dozen the country already uses.
On May 6 the company said the Royal Navy bought three REMUS 100s and five REMUS 300s. The company declined to say when the sale specifically occurred or was finalized.
HII said this was a “significant milestone” in the relationship between the U.K. military and HII to support underwater exploration, countermine and surveillance programs.
In 2022, HII announced it delivered three REMUS 100 UUVs to the Royal Navy that year. At the time, the company told Defense Daily that the Royal Navy owned 12 REMUS 100s and four REMUS 600s (Defense Daily, Sept. 21, 2022).
The company unveiled the REMUS 300 in 2021 as its newest small-class UUV, which it said incorporated feedback from hundreds of REMUS 100 users (Defense Daily, April 20, 2021).
It also boasted the first two REMUS 100s that the U.K. acquired in 2001 are still in operation, “demonstrating the resilience and modernization capabilities of the HII-built UUVs.”
HII agreed to acquire the maker of the REMUS line. Hydroid Inc., in 2020 for $350 million. It had previously been owned by Kongsberg (Defense Daily, Feb. 4, 2020.)
HII said the REMUS 100 and 300s sold to the U.K. will enhance the Royal Navy’s operational efficiency for a variety of missions, with sensors and systems that allow them to perform missions like reconnaissance and mine countermeasures.
“We are honored to support the Royal Navy in their mission to maintain maritime security. The trust placed in our REMUS vehicles by the United Kingdom and other allies is a testament to the quality and reliability of our technology. We look forward to further strengthening our partnerships and contributing to global maritime safety,” Duane Fotheringham, president of HII Mission Technologies’ Unmanned Systems business group, said in a statement.