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.
ARMOR Force is a joint initiative between US shipbuilder HII and UK firm Babcock to supply the Royal Navy with uncrewed underwater and surface vessels, shown publicly for the first time at the Combined Naval Event in May 2026.
Last refreshed: 24 July 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 warBackground
ARMOR Force pairs HII's American autonomous maritime portfolio, including its REMUS family of underwater vehicles and ROMULUS surface craft, with Babcock's established maintenance and support relationships inside the Royal Navy. HII showcased the initiative at the Combined Naval Event in Farnborough in May 2026, alongside an enlarged HII hub at Portchester, Hampshire, that gives the American company a genuine UK manufacturing and service footprint rather than a simple export relationship .
For the Royal Navy the appeal is a route to torpedo-tube-launched underwater drone capability at a moment when protecting seabed cables and clearing mines have both become higher priorities. That route runs through Babcock rather than a direct US export licence, a distinction that matters for sovereignty-conscious procurement decisions.
As of the Farnborough showcase, ARMOR Force remained at an early engagement stage: no procurement announcement or programme of record had followed the pitch .
What 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?
