U.S. Navy Virginia-class submarine achieves first recovery of REMUS 620 unmanned undersea vehicle.

A U.S. Navy Virginia-class submarine has achieved the first recovery of a REMUS 620 unmanned undersea vehicle during trials at Seneca Lake, New York.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on October 6, 2025, that a U.S. Navy Virginia-class submarine successfully completed the first recovery of a second-generation REMUS 620 unmanned undersea vehicle through its torpedo tube and shutterway test fixture during in-water trials at Seneca Lake, New York. The test, conducted with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, marks a historic advancement in autonomous undersea operations, enhancing the Navy’s ability to pair unmanned systems with front-line attack submarines.
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HII’s REMUS 620 begins its launch at Seneca Lake during torpedo tube recovery trials, observed by REMUS 620 Product Lead Adrian Gonsalves. (Picture source: U.S. Navy)

The trial demonstrated that the REMUS 620 can conduct precise underwater navigation and communication procedures to locate and dock into a Shock and Fire Enclosure Capsule (SAFECAP) housed within a submerged torpedo tube test fixture representative of Virginia-class submarines. The UUV also completed a reverse swim-out launch sequence and confirmed safe separation, validating both ingress and egress procedures essential for submarine deployment. The system was tested less than seven months after the Yellow Moray torpedo tube launch and recovery system developed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution was integrated into the REMUS 620, underscoring the accelerated pace of progress in submarine-compatible unmanned technologies.

The REMUS 620 represents HII’s latest generation in medium-class unmanned undersea vehicles, designed for multi-mission flexibility, endurance and modularity. Based on HII’s proven REMUS lineage, the 620 model features an endurance of up to 110 hours and a range of approximately 275 nautical miles (509 kilometers), depending on configuration. It can reach speeds of up to 8 knots (14.8 kilometers per hour) and supports multiple modular payloads for diverse missions. The system incorporates an advanced autonomy suite, allowing for complex mission management, data collection and real-time decision-making without direct operator input. Its modular bays can host payloads such as side-scan and synthetic aperture sonar, environmental sensors, intelligence-gathering packages and mine countermeasure systems.

In the context of modern naval submarine warfare, the integration of the REMUS 620 into torpedo tube operations offers a new dimension of capability and flexibility. Traditionally, submarines rely on periscope, sonar and external communications for situational awareness. With a deployable autonomous UUV such as the REMUS 620, a submarine can extend its surveillance reach far beyond its immediate vicinity without compromising stealth. The UUV can be launched to map the seafloor, perform mine detection and classification, conduct hydrographic surveys or gather intelligence in littoral or contested areas while the host submarine remains hidden at depth.

For missions involving mine countermeasures, the REMUS 620 can perform pre-detonation reconnaissance, identify and classify naval mines and return data for analysis or remote neutralization. In anti-submarine warfare, it can operate as a forward sensor, tracking acoustic signatures or serving as a passive listening node, relaying information back to the submarine. Its endurance and autonomy make it a critical asset for persistent undersea surveillance, environmental mapping and covert data collection in strategic chokepoints or denied waters.

Technically, this achievement demonstrates a significant leap in precision docking and recovery under complex hydrodynamic and acoustic conditions. Docking a UUV inside a submarine torpedo tube requires millimeter-level alignment, robust control algorithms and reliable acoustic and optical navigation aids. The SAFECAP, designed to contain and protect the UUV during insertion and recovery, ensures that the vehicle remains aligned and secured within the launch system while withstanding pressure and shock loads. The successful autonomous docking and reverse swim-out validate the REMUS 620’s ability to operate in such constrained environments with precision and repeatability.

A key advantage of this technology lies in its compatibility with existing Virginia-class infrastructure. The REMUS 620 and its launch system are designed to work within the dimensions and mechanical interfaces of standard Mk 48 torpedo tubes (53.3 centimeters in diameter). This allows submarines to deploy UUVs without significant modifications or the need for additional external payload modules. By reusing existing systems, the Navy can integrate unmanned capabilities at lower cost and with minimal disruption to operational readiness.

The REMUS 620’s development builds on earlier milestones, including the demonstration of torpedo tube deployment using the REMUS 600 from USS Delaware (SSN 791) in 2023. The 620 expands this concept, offering greater endurance, payload capacity and the ability to autonomously recover into the torpedo tube, an essential feature for sustained undersea operations without surfacing or external recovery assets.

While this demonstration represents a critical milestone, additional testing and validation are required before full operational deployment. Future phases will involve at-sea testing aboard an operational Virginia-class submarine to assess performance in real oceanic conditions, including strong currents, temperature gradients and complex acoustic environments. These tests will also evaluate long-term system durability, communications reliability between the UUV and submarine during recovery, and safety integration with torpedo launch and pressure systems.

The capability to deploy and recover unmanned undersea vehicles directly from attack submarines aligns with the Navy’s evolving concept of distributed maritime operations. Submarines equipped with REMUS 620-class systems can act as command nodes in an underwater network of autonomous platforms, sensors and communication relays. This concept supports persistent undersea domain awareness, expands reach into denied environments and allows for coordinated multi-vehicle missions.

The successful recovery of the REMUS 620 into a U.S. Navy Virginia-class torpedo tube represents a fundamental shift in submarine operations, transforming them from independent stealth platforms into multi-domain force multipliers. By leveraging autonomous technologies and existing launch infrastructure, the U.S. Navy is advancing toward a future of integrated manned and unmanned undersea warfare where submarines will deploy, recover and coordinate with UUVs as part of routine mission sets. Continued testing, certification and fleet integration will determine how quickly this capability transitions from demonstration to operational use within the U.S. Submarine Force.