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US defence contractor Huntington Ingalls Industries, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the US Navy have achieved a key milestone in advancing submarine-launched autonomous underwater vehicle capabilities for the US Navy.
The trial confirmed that the next-generation REMUS 620 medium uncrewed underwater vehicle (MUUV) is compatible with critical US Navy submarine systems, drawing on the support of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport (NUWCDIVNPT) and leveraging the shock and fire enclosure capsule, Virginia Class torpedo tubes, and other key weapons handling interfaces.
The test was conducted at the Virginia Class Cradle Payload Integration Facility and sets the stage for full-scale in-water launch and recovery testing later this year.
“This clears the way for continued testing in advance of an in-water end-to-end launch and recovery at a US Navy test fixture facility later this summer,” said Adrian Gonsalves, Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) REMUS 620 product lead.
The REMUS 620, equipped with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s (WHOI) Yellow Moray docking system, underwent a comprehensive “dry checkout” simulating the full integration of the vehicle within a submarine’s torpedo launch infrastructure.
The validation follows a historic achievement aboard USS Delaware, also built by HII, which last year became the first Virginia Class submarine to conduct a forward-deployed launch and recovery of a UUV using a torpedo tube, utilising a REMUS 600 fitted with Yellow Moray.
Rick Thornton of NUWCDIVNPT said the successful trial reflected strong collaboration between all parties, saying, “Our team appreciated the early coordination with HII and WHOI. The REMUS 620 team arrived ready to go and all events were executed safely and efficiently with good information exchange throughout. Much appreciation to the full test team for its efforts.”
The REMUS series of underwater vehicles, developed by HII, is widely regarded as a benchmark in autonomous undersea systems. The REMUS 620 builds on this pedigree, offering a modular, open-architecture design that supports rapid integration of mission-specific payloads from surveillance and reconnaissance to mine countermeasures and seabed mapping.
With the ability to operate independently or in support of manned platforms, including Virginia Class nuclear-powered submarines, the REMUS 620 enhances undersea mission range, reduces the risk of detection and minimises crew exposure in contested environments.
To date, HII has delivered more than 700 REMUS vehicles to over 30 countries, including 14 NATO allies. Impressively, more than 90 per cent of REMUS units delivered over the past two decades remain in operational service, a testament to the platform’s durability, adaptability and life cycle value.
