ARMOR Force
Autonomous maritime operations and recovery initiative jointly developed by HII and Babcock for the Royal Navy, centred on subsea uncrewed vehicle deployment and recovery.
Last refreshed: 29 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Will ARMOR Force produce a Royal Navy UUV programme of record, or remain a showcase initiative?
Timeline for ARMOR Force
Presented as HII-Babcock joint Royal Navy subsea autonomy initiative at CNE 2026
Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea: US prime digs into UK seabed warWhat is the HII and Babcock ARMOR Force programme?
Has the Royal Navy signed a contract with ARMOR Force?
Why is the Portchester facility important for UK underwater drones?
Background
ARMOR Force (Autonomous Maritime Operations and Recovery) is a joint initiative between the American shipbuilder HII and the British defence company Babcock, designed to deliver uncrewed underwater and surface systems to the Royal Navy. It was showcased at the Combined Naval Event in Farnborough in May 2026 alongside the USS Delaware REMUS 600 torpedo-tube demonstration and an enlarged HII European hub at Portchester, Hampshire.
ARMOR Force is structured around HII's autonomous maritime portfolio, including REMUS-family UUVs and surface vessels, integrated with Babcock's established Royal Navy support and maintenance relationships in the UK. The Portchester facility provides the European manufacturing and service footprint that converts HII from a transatlantic exporter into an embedded UK industrial partner, a distinction that matters for UK sovereign capability requirements.
For the Royal Navy, ARMOR Force offers a pathway to torpedo-tube-launched UUV capability at a time when seabed cable protection and mine countermeasures have both risen to strategic priority. The initiative is at the early engagement stage as of May 2026; it has not produced a procurement announcement or a programme of record.
