HII: New medium-class unmanned underwater vehicle unveiled

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) divison Mission Technologies has revealed a new medium-class unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), REMUS 620.

REMUS 620 is the same size and weight of the first and only full-rate production medium UUVs: the MK 18 Mod 2, Littoral Battleship Sensing-Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (LBS-AUV) and LBS-Razorback systems operated by the US Navy’s Mine Countermeasure Squadrons, US Naval Oceanographic Office and Submarine Forces, respectively.

Building on the design philosophy of the highly successful REMUS 300 — recently selected by the US Navy as the program of record for the Lionfish Small UUV — the REMUS 620 has a battery life of up to 110 hours and a range of 275 nautical miles, providing unmatched mission capabilities for mine countermeasures, hydrographic surveys, intelligence collection, surveillance and electronic warfare.

Multiple REMUS 620s operating collaboratively can be deployed from submarines, small manned or unmanned boats, amphibious ships, surface combatants and helicopters.

The UUV can also be used as a platform to launch and operate other unmanned vehicles or payloads from beneath the sea.

REMUS 620 is equipped with multiple batteries capable of 110 hours and a range of 275 nautical miles per mission, which provides unmatched multi-day endurance, range and stealth.

The increased REMUS battery life enables the UUV to execute a significantly longer route to and from a mission area than previously afforded by medium-class vehicles.

The energy modules are swappable, allowing for quick turnaround and incorporation of alternative energy sources as they become available, according to the company.

REMUS 620 standard synthetic aperture sonar payload can be replaced or enhanced for multi-mission capabilities, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and cyber and electronic warfare operations

The UUV is built with modern core electronics, navigation and communication systems, and the vehicle’s open architecture can now be enhanced with HII Odyssey,, a suite of advanced autonomy solutions for intelligent, robotic platforms. The vehicle also includes the new Odyssey Mission Management Software.