Overview
- HII expanded the Portchester, Hampshire facility by about 6,500 square feet, designating it as its principal European base for unmanned systems support.
- The hub will sustain and train operators of REMUS underwater vehicles and prepare regional support for ROMULUS uncrewed surface vessels, which HII schedules from 2026.
- The company expects eight to ten additional UK roles and plans assembly-level work on REMUS 620, including support for torpedo-tube launch and recovery systems.
- The build-out advances a partnership with Babcock to integrate REMUS with submarine weapon handling systems, with HII stating torpedo-tube launch and recovery is field tested and operational.
- HII says European customers can route REMUS maintenance to the UK site, which will also support electronic warfare, C5ISR integration, AI-enabled systems and synthetic training as demand for autonomous maritime capabilities grows.