"Long term presence" of Royal Navy support continues as HII drone Royal Navy vessel hub expands in Portchester
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A drone vessel operations hub has expanded amid the Royal Navy’s push for a modernised fleet.
HII, an American firm that operates Portchester, has doubled the size of its unmanned systems facility. The company said the enlarged facility strengthens the company’s presence in the UK, while increasing its capacity to support the Royal Navy with unmanned under water vehicles (UUVs).
Duane Fotheringham, president of Mission Technologies’ Unmanned Systems business group, said, “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.”
The business builds the Remus line of UUV’s, which are configurable and adaptable to a range of operations including deep-sea recovery. They are in service with more than 30 countries, including 14 Nato members. 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, the force bought eight REMUS systems. They are used in Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) missions to scope out and eliminate unexploded ordnances. High resolution seabed imagery and precise navigation systems allow for sailors to counter underwater threats in a fast and reliable manner. Up to date version of REMUS were trialled last year by the crew of HMS Middleton, currently assigned to Operation Kipion in the Gulf.
The company also produces autonomous surface vessels called Romulus. These Ai-enabled ships can deliver speeds of over 25 knots and have a range of 2,500 nautical miles. Sea trials have been planned for the flagship Romulus 190, a model which is currently under construction.