Discover The New Underwater Drone of the US Navy

Discover The New Underwater Drone of the US Navy

REMUS 300 UUV, by Huntington Ingalls Industries
REMUS 300 UUV, by Huntington Ingalls Industries

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In the depths of the sea, the pencil-shaped underwater vehicle can track, gather information, patrol and neutralize mines utilizing a variety of technologies and sensors. The device can be carried by two people and used in conjunction with other tools to complete various tasks at depths of up to 300 meters.

The U.S. Navy announced in March that it will adopt Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Remus 300 unmanned underwater vehicle, which has been in development for two years by the Security Innovation Unit and will be part of the Lionfish Drone Program. With Remus 300, other unmanned vehicles are able to work together, so when an object similar to a mine is encountered, for example, another unmanned vehicle is alerted to make a second observation of the suspicious object.

DefenceOne.com reports that the drone will replace the Mk18 Mod 1 Swordfish, a former model of the same series. Although no official information about the new drone’s missions has been released, its technical specifications suggest that it is capable of intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, and surveillance, besides surveying and research. Missions requiring different sensors can swap payloads, and software and hardware kits allow operators to create their own packages. Battery and hard drive replacements can be carried out underwater, eliminating the need to return to shore for data retrieval or mission preparation.

The U.S Navy plans for 2022 calls for the acquisition of dozens of unmanned platforms, and forces are working on integrating the new tools quickly into operational missions.