HII has expanded its Portchester unmanned maritime systems facility in the UK, doubling its size to enhance support for autonomous underwater and surface platforms operated by allied naval forces. The move strengthens regional sustainment and training capacity for the REMUS series of unmanned underwater vehicles, which are widely used across defense, commercial, and research sectors.
The enlarged site will act as a European center of excellence for unmanned systems, providing maintenance, logistics, and operational support to the Royal Navy, U.S. military commands, and partner nations. In addition to hands-on and virtual training, the facility will support AI-enabled autonomy, electronic warfare integration, and lifecycle sustainment, ensuring long-term readiness of autonomous fleets.
HII’s REMUS UUV family is designed around modular architectures and long-endurance performance, enabling mission flexibility across varying depths and operational requirements. The REMUS 130 offers rapid deployability for near-shore missions, while the REMUS 300 delivers enhanced range and payload capacity. The REMUS 620 introduces advanced electronics and modular upgrades, supporting missions lasting up to 110 hours with a range of 275 nautical miles. For deep-water operations, the REMUS 6000 enables exploration and recovery missions at depths reaching 6,000 meters, positioning it among the most capable UUVs in its class.
Beyond underwater systems, the Portchester site will support the rollout of HII’s ROMULUS autonomous surface vessels, which leverage AI-driven control via the Odyssey system. The lead ROMULUS 190 platform is undergoing construction, with sea trials planned this year. Designed for repeatable commercial production, the USVs can exceed 25 knots, operate autonomously in open seas, and achieve ranges of up to 2,500 nautical miles, underscoring HII’s expanding role in next-generation naval autonomy.
