A joint team from Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the U.S. Navy’s Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport (NUWCDIVNPT) has achieved a significant milestone in advancing the U.S. Navy Submarine Force’s initiative to launch and recover autonomous undersea vehicles from submarine torpedo tubes.

The recent test conducted by the joint team confirmed the compatibility of the REMUS 620 with the Submarine Advanced Capability (SAFECAP) system, specifically designed for Virginia-class submarine weapons handling and torpedo tube systems, as well as other critical interfaces.

HII’s next-generation medium uncrewed underwater vehicle (MUUV), equipped with WHOI’s Yellow Moray docking technology, successfully completed a full end-to-end dry checkout of the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle/Shock and Fire Enclosure Capsule (AUV/SAFECAP) “All-Up Round” (AUR) in the Virginia-class Cradle Payload Integration Facility (VCCPIF) and its Mk71 torpedo tube. This achievement follows the successful launch and recovery of a UUV via a submarine torpedo tube on USS Delaware (SSN 791), built by HII, utilizing the Yellow Moray-equipped REMUS 600 UUV.

With its cutting-edge REMUS technology, HII is spearheading the expansion of the U.S. Navy’s undersea dominance and operational range. The successful integration of REMUS 620 with Virginia-class submarines signifies a significant step forward in enhancing undersea capabilities and advancing autonomous undersea vehicle operations.