According to a press release published by Huntington Ingalls Industries on June 21, 2021, the company announced that the Royal New Zealand Navy has placed the first international order for four REMUS 300 unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).
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Tank testing for the REMUS 300 (Picture source: Huntington Ingalls Industries)
New Zealand has a fleet of six REMUS 100 UUVs that are used for mine countermeasures and underwater survey operations. The Royal New Zealand Navy has also used its REMUS vehicles for search and recovery, including locating the wreck of the Princess Ashika ferry in 2009 and assisting with the White Island volcano search effort in 2019.
Designed for modularity and portability, the REMUS 300 can be reconfigured with a range of sensors and payloads to meet mission requirements. In addition to the four vehicles, New Zealand acquired high-definition camera modules and additional swappable battery modules. The sale was facilitated through New Zealand Ocean Technology, HII’s REMUS sales, and an in-country support partner. Delivery of the four REMUS 300s is expected by summer 2022.
The REMUS 300 design incorporates feedback from hundreds of REMUS 100 users and provides the ability to exchange payloads, allowing application flexibility. Common applications include mine countermeasures, hydrographic survey, rapid environmental assessment, search and recovery, and marine research. Modular energy sections allow for field replacement of 1.5, 3.0, or 4.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion batteries enabling up to 10, 20, or 30 hours of endurance.
The REMUS was first developed in the late 1990s for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute by Hydroid, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime.
