HII secures $347 million contract for U.S. Navy's Lionfish UUVs.

According to information published by the US DoD on October 12, 2023, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has revealed that its Mission Technologies division has been selected by the U.S. Navy to manufacture nine small unmanned undersea vehicles (SUUV) as part of the Lionfish System program.
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REMUS Unmanned Underwater Vehicle at DSEI 2023, London. (Picture source: Navy Recognition)

This contract holds the potential to expand to a production of up to 200 vehicles in the coming five years, bringing the total contract value to an impressive $347 million.

This contract, overseen by the Naval Sea Systems Command, encompasses the delivery and support of the Navy's cutting-edge SUUVs. These vehicles, equipped with the latest in autonomous technology, are set to undertake vital undersea operations for the Navy.

The Lionfish System, which is an evolution of HII's REMUS 300 design, is a compact SUUV that can be operated by two individuals. It boasts an open architecture design and offers a range of payload options. Notably, the REMUS 300 was designated as the Navy's official choice for the next-generation SUUV early in 2022.

REMUS 300

Weighing 56kg, with a length of 2.3m and a diameter of 19cm, its modular design allows mission-specific configurations. The vehicle can dive up to 305m and incorporates advanced features like a robust structure, open architecture, flexible energy options, a 1TB removable solid-state hard drive, and the new HyFleet graphic user interface.

Powered by a direct-drive DC brushless motor, the REMUS 300 uses a Cruciform fin for yaw and pitch control. Depending on the configuration, it can be equipped with lithium-ion batteries ranging from 1.5kWh to 4.5kWh, offering endurance from 10 to 30 hours. The vehicle can dive up to 305m, reach speeds of 5kt, and has a maximum range between 110km to 165km.