Autonomous Maritime Systems Collaboration Expands Naval Integration

HII and Babcock International Group are expanding cooperation on autonomous maritime systems to support next-generation naval operations involving unmanned underwater vehicles, unmanned surface vessels, and integrated mission management systems. The collaboration focuses on interoperability between autonomous platforms and submarine launch-and-recovery infrastructure for defense applications.

Applications include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, mine countermeasures, seabed warfare, hydrographic survey operations, and counter-unmanned systems activities across allied naval fleets.

System Integration for Autonomous Naval Operations
The cooperation combines HII’s unmanned maritime platforms and autonomous control technologies with Babcock International Group’s submarine systems integration and maritime operational support capabilities. The partnership addresses increasing operational requirements for manned-unmanned teaming within naval environments where underwater and surface autonomous systems must operate alongside conventional fleet assets.

A central element of the cooperation involves integrating autonomous launch and recovery functions for unmanned underwater vehicles through submarine torpedo tubes. This approach enables deployment and retrieval of autonomous systems without requiring dedicated surface support vessels, supporting covert and distributed maritime operations.

The collaboration also supports Babcock’s ARMOR (Autonomous and Remote, Maritime Operational Response) Force initiative for the U.K. Royal Navy. The initiative combines crewed and autonomous maritime assets within a unified operational framework designed for scalable deployment and fleet interoperability.

Autonomous Systems and Control Architecture
HII contributes its REMUS family of unmanned underwater vehicles and ROMULUS family of AI-enabled unmanned surface vessels to the collaboration. The systems are supported by the Odyssey Autonomous Control System software suite, which provides mission planning, swarm coordination, autonomous navigation, and operator control functions.

The Odyssey software environment is designed to support cross-domain unmanned operations through customizable mission behaviors and a common control interface. The architecture enables coordination between underwater and surface autonomous systems while maintaining compatibility with existing naval command structures and operational workflows.

HII reported delivery of more than 750 REMUS unmanned underwater vehicles to over 30 countries, including multiple NATO member states. The systems are used in defense, commercial, and scientific operations.

Deployment and Operational Development
Operational testing has included torpedo tube launch and recovery operations involving a REMUS 600 unmanned underwater vehicle deployed from USS Delaware (SSN 791). The deployment demonstrated integration between submarine systems and autonomous underwater platforms for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

The cooperation also supports European sustainment and deployment activities through HII’s expanded Portchester facility in the United Kingdom. The site supports regional maintenance, training, and operational integration activities for allied naval customers.

In parallel, HII continues development of scaled production capabilities for the ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel family to support deployment timelines for allied naval programs.

Combined Naval Event 2026 took place from May 19–21, 2026, at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre in Farnborough, United Kingdom, where HII presented developments in autonomous maritime systems and live virtual constructive training technologies.

Edited by Sucithra Mani, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

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