HII
Huntington Ingalls Industries; the largest US naval shipbuilder, also producing REMUS and ROMULUS uncrewed underwater vehicles.
Last refreshed: 29 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Is HII's Portchester hub positioning it to become the dominant supplier to NATO's sub-launched UUV fleet?
Timeline for HII
Showcased REMUS and ROMULUS 151 at CNE, expanded Portchester hub, deepened Babcock ARMOR Force tie-up
Autonomous Systems: Land & Sea: US prime digs into UK seabed war- What is HII's role in the Royal Navy's autonomous underwater programme?
- HII is working with British defence firm Babcock on the ARMOR Force autonomous maritime operations and recovery initiative for the Royal Navy, and has expanded its Portchester facility as a European hub for allied navies.Source: Naval News
- How many REMUS underwater drones has HII delivered?
- HII has delivered more than 750 REMUS uncrewed underwater vehicles to over 30 countries. A REMUS 600 was launched and recovered through the torpedo tube of USS Delaware.Source: Naval News
- Why is HII setting up a hub at Portchester in the UK?
- HII enlarged its Portchester facility as a European hub for allied navies, routing its autonomous underwater pitch through British partner Babcock. The strategy converts a US export pitch into a UK industrial presence harder to displace on sovereignty grounds.Source: Naval News
- What is torpedo-tube launch and recovery of underwater drones used for?
- Torpedo-tube launch and recovery lets a submerged submarine deploy a REMUS UUV ahead to scout, hunt mines or gather intelligence without surfacing. HII demonstrated this from USS Delaware at the Combined Naval Event, 19-21 May 2026.Source: Naval News
Background
HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries) is the United States' largest military shipbuilder and the maker of the REMUS family of uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs). At the Combined Naval Event in Farnborough from 19 to 21 May 2026, HII pushed its autonomous underwater capabilities toward the Royal Navy through a partnership with British defence company Babcock, on the ARMOR Force autonomous maritime operations and recovery initiative. HII has delivered more than 750 REMUS UUVs to over 30 countries, and a REMUS 600 was launched and recovered through the torpedo tube of the submarine USS Delaware, demonstrating the launch-and-recovery capability that turns a submerged boat into a forward sensor host.
HII's UK strategy is structured as an industrial foothold rather than a direct export: it has enlarged its facility at Portchester as a European hub for allied navies, routing its pitch through Babcock rather than competing against British firms. The model converts a US export into a UK industrial presence that is harder to displace on sovereignty grounds.
The strategic context is seabed infrastructure protection. As subsea cables and pipelines enter the defence threat picture, navies guarding them face procurement urgency, and HII's torpedo-tube UUV capability is the technology at the centre of that race across NATO.
