Expanded UK UUV Facility to Serve Europe
Huntington Ingalls Industries has expanded its Portchester, England facility to support the growing European market for unmanned underwater vehicles, particularly the companys REMUS systems, underscoring rising allied demand for autonomous maritime platforms.
HII doubled the footprint of the site on Englands south coast to allow assembly of the Remus 620 medium-class UUV and to increase training and maintenance capacity for the U.K. Royal Navy and other European navies.
Expanded Hub to Support Allied Naval Needs
The enlarged Portchester hub will serve as a European support base for the REMUS family of UUVs, which are in use with more than 30 countries, including 14 NATO members. European operators include Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, and Estonia.
Nick Green, manager of the facility, said expanded operations will help HII meet more substantial orders and pace up allied training as navies shift away from traditional minehunters toward unmanned systems for mine countermeasures.
Local Production and Future Unmanned Platforms
Part of HIIs intent is to increase U.K. content in production, including launch and recovery systems for the Remus 620, along with basic vehicle assembly. Almost all repair and maintenance for U.K. and many European customers is now done at Portchester, reducing the need to move equipment across the Atlantic.
The expanded site also will support future unmanned surface vessels under HIIs Romulus family, with plans to bring demonstration units to Europe.
Strategic Context
The expansion reflects sustained interest in autonomous maritime systems across NATO and European navies, driven by defense budget increases and investment in unmanned capabilities. HII says its modular REMUS platforms can be updated with new sensors and payloads to meet evolving mission needs.
Partnerships with local firms aim to advance capabilities such as submarine-launched UUV operations, building on memorandum of understanding agreements with groups like Babcock International to enable torpedo-tube launch and recovery integration.
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