HII-Thales partnership advances autonomous undersea protection

September 10, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

Aerospace and defense company Thales and American defense major HII have completed integration and field exercise of the Thales SAMDIS 600 sonar with HII’s next-generation REMUS 620 medium unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV).

The exercise took place in late August at HII’s Pocasset facility in Massachusetts. It marks a key step forward in autonomous undersea mine countermeasure capabilities.

According to Thales, the shows the compatibility of Thales’ SAMDIS 600 multi-aspect synthetic aperture sonar with HII’s modular, long-endurance REMUS 620 UUV. Together, they provide advanced autonomous mine detection, classification, and imaging. This enhances undersea security, mine countermeasures, and subsea infrastructure monitoring for naval forces worldwide.

“Teaming the Thales’ advanced SAMDIS 600 sensor in the REMUS 620 underscores the power of collaboration in driving innovation for our customers,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of Mission Technologies’ Unmanned Systems business group.

“This milestone demonstrates not only the adaptability of the REMUS 620 but also the strength of industry partnerships in delivering next-generation, interoperable solutions that enhance undersea dominance for NATO and allied forces.”

Paul Armstrong, Managing Director of Underwater Systems at Thales in the UK, said that the achievement reflects the strong partnership with HII and highlights how industry collaboration can deliver advanced solutions.

The REMUS family of UUVs provides vital capabilities for modern naval operations. These autonomous systems can operate independently or alongside crewed platforms.

A recent demonstration proved their ability to launch and recover from the torpedo tubes of Virginia-class nuclear submarines. This innovation extends the mission range, according to HII.