Regina Garcia
The U.S. Navy and HII showcased a new concept to deploy a large displacement unmanned undersea vehicle from an amphibious ship using the company-made Pharos system.
Naval Sea Systems Command said Monday the branch’s Snakehead LDUUV prototype was demonstrated in conjunction with HII’s launch and recovery platform in October at a test facility run by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport in Rhode Island.
According to HII, the Pharos research and development project started out as an independent R&D effort under the company’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division.
Ingalls Shipbuilding then collaborated with the HII Mission Technologies group to design and build the system for demonstration use.
The team tested a surrogate platform in Panama City, Florida, prior to the demo at the Navy’s Narragansett Bay Test Facility.
Todd Borkey, executive vice president and chief technology officer of HII, said the company aims to demonstrate its Pharos technology with an LPD vessel and transition the system into the customer’s mission.
HII is a sponsor of the Potomac Officers Club’s 4th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit, which will feature Todd Borkey as a panel moderator. Visit the POC events page to learn more about the Feb. 16 in-person event.
