NOAA Orders Two REMUS 620 UUVs

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently ordered two REMUS 620 unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) from HII.

The customized, medium-class UUVs will be built by HII’s Mission Technologies division in partnership with W.S. Darley & Co. and delivered in 2024. The vehicles will be customized with a synthetic aperture sonar module, additional energy modules and auxiliary equipment.

NOAA will use the REMUS 620 vehicles for higher-resolution mapping of the Gulf of Mexico and its effort to restore the seafloor habitats damaged by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The agency has previously used other REMUS models for habitat characterization, marine archeology and other ocean mapping and exploration activities.

Unveiled in November 2022, the REMUS 620 is designed for missions such as mine countermeasures, hydrographic surveys, intelligence collection, surveillance and electronic warfare. Each has a battery life of up to 110 hours and a range of 275 nautical miles.

“The REMUS 620 is the first medium-class UUV designed to accurately deliver this range of advanced above- and below-water effects at long range,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of Mission Technologies’ Unmanned Systems business group.

“There has been tremendous market interest in the REMUS 620,” Fotheringham added, noting the company's backlog for its REMUS 300 vehicles has been steadily increasing.

HII said its REMUS line of UUVs has been utilized around the world supporting scientific research and operations and is currently in use in more than 30 countries.