HII has revealed a new ship-based autonomous launch and recovery system for its Remus family of uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs).
The American defence giant said it had carried out a successful demonstration of its Sea Launcher system in recent tests carried out at its facility in Pocasset, Massachusetts.
The firm plans to integrate the system onto the Romulus family of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) it is currently developing, as well as marketing the system to external customers.
As per the HII press statement, more than 30 navies already use Remus UUVs for a variety of tasks including mine countermeasures, undersea survey, and environmental sensing, and general intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
President of the firm’s Mission Technologies’ Unmanned Systems division Duane Fotheringham commented: “This is proven technology applied in a highly relevant shipboard configuration.”
He added: “Remus has successfully performed autonomous line capture and recovery for years. What this demonstration shows is how seamlessly that capability integrates with automated launch and recovery systems onboard manned or unmanned vessels to support modern maritime operations.”
The HII statement noted: “Automated launch and recovery significantly reduces risk to sailors, expands mission range and flexibility, and shortens mission timelines. These advantages are particularly important in contested or high-sea-state environments, where minimizing hands-on deck operations improves safety and operational availability.”
- You can read more details on the HII website