HII wins out for UK's MHC Block 2 UUV procurement
A REMUS 620 unmanned underwater vehicle gets unloaded for deployment during Exercise ‘Keen Sword 27'. (Commonwealth of Australia)
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has selected the uncrewed systems group of HII Mission Technologies to deliver a new medium-size unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) capability as part of the Royal Navy's (RN's) Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) Block 2 programme.
Announcing the downselection on 3 November 2026, the MoD said a GBP303 million (USD404.8 million) contract award is planned on or around 16 November following a two-week ‘stand still' period. HII – offering its REMUS 620 vehicle with a Thales SAMDIS 600 synthetic aperture sonar payload - was selected ahead of rival bids from Exail Robotics, Teledyne Gavia, and TKMS Atlas UK.
Launched in 2025, the MHC Block 2 UUV programme covers the procurement of eight mission systems – each comprising three UUVs and a launch and recovery system - plus associated equipment and in-service support. The base in-service support period runs through to May 2031: the contract includes two options which extend the in-service support period by one year each, up to a maximum of two years.
A third option facilitates the procurement of up to 12 more mission systems. This could extend the term of the contract in line with the associated manufacture and delivery timescales.
HII describes REMUS 620 as a next-generation medium-class UUV designed for long-range, multi-day operations. The vehicle embodies a modular open architecture to enable the integration of mission-specific payloads and sensors.
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