HII expands UK unmanned hub as Europe prepares for new era of autonomous warfare

January 13, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

Defense giant HII has decided to double the size of its unmanned facility in Portsmouth, UK, to strengthen the company’s presence in the United Kingdom and increase capacity.

As disclosed, the facility will support the Royal Navy and European partners that operate the REMUS line of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). In addition to supporting regional unmanned customers, the Portchester facility will serve as a European hub for HII’s Mission Technologies division.

Specifically, the site will provide operational, technical, and logistics support to deploy, sustain, and integrate electronic warfare and C5ISR systems, fleet modernization efforts, artificial intelligence capabilities, and live, virtual, and constructive training.

According to HII, the site also prepares the region for the deployment and sustainment of HII’s ROMULUS family of unmanned surface vessels (USVs), a modular AI-enabled line powered by HII’s Odyssey autonomous control system and scheduled for availability in 2026.

HII debuts ROMULUS USVs

UUV/UAV

Staffed by U.K. employees, it will drive new jobs and support supplier engagement, maintenance, training and long-term sustainment for operators across the U.K. and Europe. The site will also work in close coordination with HII’s global engineering, production, training and mission support teams.

“This new HII Portchester facility reinforces HII’s long term presence in the United Kingdom and provides a strong foundation for future cooperation. It ensures that U.K. and European operators, suppliers, and partners of ROMULUS USVs and REMUS UUVs receive regional access to world class support, training and sustainment,” Duane Fotheringham, president of Mission Technologies’ Unmanned Systems business group, said.

REMUS systems are in service with more than 30 countries, including 14 NATO members, and are known for dependable operation, advanced sensor performance, and a strong record in mine hunting, reconnaissance and underwater survey missions.

In September, Babcock International Group and HII signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate HII’s REMUS vehicles with Babcock’s submarine weapon handling and launch systems. The goal is autonomous launch and recovery of UUVs through submarine torpedo tubes, strengthening the undersea advantage for allied navies.

The Royal Navy has a long partnership with REMUS. Since 2001, the Ministry of Defence has acquired REMUS 100, REMUS 300 and REMUS 600 vehicles for mine countermeasure operations. In 2024, HII announced the sale of three REMUS 100s and five REMUS 300s to the Royal Navy.

The first two REMUS 100s delivered in 2001 remain in active service today.