Derrick Henry
HII has delivered two enhanced Remus 620 uncrewed underwater vehicles to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Introduced in November 2022, the medium-class UUVs work to deliver above- and below-water capabilities over long distances, HII said Monday.
The battery-powered vehicles boast new enhancements, such as a synthetic aperture sonar module and auxiliary equipment to enable NOAA’s underwater mapping and habitat restoration missions.
The agency accepted delivery of the UUVs just over a year following a contract award in August 2023 to provide the seacraft for enhanced high-resolution ocean floor mapping operations.
According to Duane Fotheringham, president of the unmanned systems business group at HII Mission Technologies, the Remus 620’s swift delivery showcases the company’s ability to deploy uncrewed systems that meet customers’ needs.
NOAA is expected to use the Remus vehicles for missions to restore the seafloor habitats affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The agency also employs other Remus models for other mission operations, such as habitat characterization, marine archaeology and oceanographic studies.
According to HII, more than 90 percent of the Remus vehicles delivered in the last two decades remain operational.
