HII has hailed a milestone in the development of drones that can be launched and recovered from the torpedo tubes of U.S. Navy submarines.
As per a recent press statement, the firm says its experts have teamed up with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the U.S. Navy’s Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport (NUWCDIVNPT) to confirm the compatibility of its REMUS 620 uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV).
Specifically, the tests confirmed the drone could be used with SAFECAP, the Shock and Fire Enclosure Capsule used by the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class submarines, and “other critical interfaces.”
HII’s REMUS 620 product lead Adrian Gonsalves explained: “This clears the way for continued testing in advance of an in-water end-to-end launch and recovery at a U.S. Navy test fixture facility later this summer.”
The U.S. Navy recently announced that in May USS Delaware, a Virginia-class attack submarine in the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) theatre of operations, achieved a new operational first by launching and recovering a UUV on three separate sorties each lasting between six and ten hours, without the need for divers to launch and recover the vehicle.
During the experiments, which were carried out from the Haakonsvern Naval Base in Norway, the team also carried out the first pier-side diver torpedo tube load of the UUV.
HII’s statement noted: “The REMUS open-architecture design allows rapid payload integration, enabling mission-specific configurations and future tech insertions — key factors in maintaining operational relevance and cost efficiency over time.”
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has also recently appealed via its Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) for new uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs), including attack drones and UUVs, that can be launched from submarines.
- You can read more details about the latest tests on the HII website