HII marks milestone in undersea warfare with REMUS-Sea Launcher trial

January 16, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

HII has announced the successful shipboard deployment and recovery of a REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle (UUV) using the company’s automated launch and recovery system, Sea Launcher.

The demonstration represents a key milestone in advancing operationally proven manned-unmanned teaming for maritime missions and highlights HII’s ability to integrate mature automation and autonomy into ship-ready systems, including the HII ROMULUS family of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) currently in production.

During recent testing, HII validated key aspects of system performance to support a fully autonomous, end-to-end launch and recovery sequence.

The test used a representative vehicle configured for real-world mission conditions and mirrored a recovery procedure that has been proven in deployments repeatedly across US Navy and allied operations.

According to HII, automated launch and recovery significantly reduces risk to sailors, expands mission range and flexibility, and shortens mission timelines.

These advantages are particularly important in contested or high-seas environments, where minimizing hands-on deck operations improves safety and operational availability.

REMUS’ modular design and open architecture allow it to operate independently or as part of a distributed maritime force, teaming with crewed ships, unmanned surface vessels, and other undersea platforms.

“REMUS has successfully performed autonomous line capture and recovery for years. What this demonstration shows is how seamlessly that capability integrates with automated launch and recovery systems onboard manned or unmanned vessels to support modern maritime operations,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of Mission Technologies’ Unmanned Systems business group.

Looking ahead, HII plans to continue integrating REMUS with its new ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel (USV) family, as well as a range of manned and unmanned ships.