US-based Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and French defense firm Thales have announced the successful integration of SAMDIS 600 sonar into the REMUS 620 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). Field trials were conducted at HII’s Pocasset facility in Massachusetts, confirming the system’s readiness for advanced undersea operations.
The project merges Thales’ multi-angle synthetic aperture sonar technology, designed for high-resolution imaging, with HII’s latest REMUS platform. The result is a system well-suited for missions such as mine detection, undersea security patrols, and monitoring of critical underwater infrastructure.
The REMUS 620 UUV is a 7-meter-long (23-foot) vehicle engineered for long-duration missions. It can operate continuously for more than 24 hours, cover a distance of up to 80 kilometers (50 miles), and dive to depths of 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). Capable of reaching speeds of 5 knots (9 kilometers per hour), the drone provides a versatile and resilient platform for a wide spectrum of subsea tasks.
HII and Thales highlighted that this integration is a significant milestone in advancing autonomous undersea warfare. According to both companies, it not only increases the efficiency of underwater missions but also demonstrates how international partnerships can accelerate the delivery of innovative tools for naval forces worldwide.
