January 12, 2026
Portchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom, (Jan. 12, 2026) — HII (NYSE: HII), the world's leading manufacturer of autonomous surface and underwater unmanned vehicles, has doubled the size of its unmanned facility in Portchester, U.K.
The enlarged facility significantly enhances and strengthens the company’s presence in the United Kingdom and increases capacity and support for the U.K. Royal Navy and European partners that operate the REMUS line of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).
In addition to supporting regional unmanned customers, the Portchester facility will serve as a European hub for HII’s Mission Technologies division, enabling collaborative customer support for U.S. combatant commands and allied missions. The site will provide operational, technical, and logistics support to deploy, sustain, and integrate electronic warfare and C5ISR systems, fleet modernization efforts, artificial intelligence capabilities, and live, virtual, and constructive training.
The facility also prepares the region for the deployment and sustainment of HII’s ROMULUS family of unmanned surface vessels (USVs), a modular AI-enabled line powered by HII’s Odyssey Autonomous Control System and scheduled for availability in 2026.
HII’s unmanned platforms are known for modular design, long endurance and reliable field performance. They support defense, commercial and research missions that include mine countermeasures, hydrographic survey, intelligence collection and environmental monitoring.
The expanded Portchester facility will operate as a strengthened regional hub for HII’s unmanned systems. Staffed by U.K. employees, it will drive new jobs and support supplier engagement, maintenance, training and long-term sustainment for operators across the U.K. and Europe. The site will also work in close coordination with HII’s global engineering, production, training and mission support teams to keep programs aligned and effective.
Duane Fotheringham, president of Mission Technologies’ Unmanned Systems business group, said, “This new HII Portchester facility reinforces HII’s long term presence in the United Kingdom and provides a strong foundation for future cooperation. It ensures that U.K. and European operators, suppliers, and partners of ROMULUS USVs and REMUS UUVs receive regional access to world class support, training and sustainment.”
REMUS UUV Family of Systems
REMUS unmanned underwater vehicles are the world’s leading UUV. They use an open-architecture design that supports the rapid integration of new payloads, mission-specific configurations, and future upgrades that ensure operators keep pace with evolving challenges and requirements while managing costs. REMUS systems are in service with more than 30 countries, including 14 NATO members, and are known for dependable operation, advanced sensor performance, and a strong record in mine hunting, reconnaissance and underwater survey missions.
In September, Babcock International Group and HII signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate HII’s REMUS vehicles with Babcock’s submarine Weapon Handling and Launch Systems. The goal is autonomous launch and recovery of UUVs through submarine torpedo tubes, strengthening undersea advantage for allied navies. The partnership builds on the U.S. Navy’s first successful forward-deployed torpedo-tube launch and recovery of a UUV using a REMUS. Babcock’s Weapon Handling and Launch Systems are in service with submarine fleets in the U.K., Canada, Australia, Spain and South Korea.
The Royal Navy has a long partnership with REMUS. Since 2001, the Ministry of Defence has acquired REMUS 100, REMUS 300 and REMUS 600 vehicles for mine countermeasure operations. In 2024, HII announced the sale of three REMUS 100s and five REMUS 300s to the Royal Navy. This order reflects confidence in the upgrade potential and build quality of HII systems and builds on more than two decades of cooperation. The first two REMUS 100s delivered in 2001 remain in active service today.
The REMUS Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) provides high resolution seabed imaging and precise navigation, giving naval teams a fast and reliable tool to counter underwater threats.
The REMUS line includes several variants, each designed for specific mission sets and operating depths. The numbering reflects operational depth and generation.
HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII's mission is to deliver the world's most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.
As the nation's largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII's workforce is 44,000 strong.
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