The US Navy has signed a new option year production contract with HII for the Lionfish unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), which is the first and only system of its kind with cybersecurity compliance. Based on the REMUS 300 platform, this system is the first project to successfully transition from prototype development to full scale serial production, solidifying its place in the Navy inventory. The Lionfish UUV fills a critical gap in submarine operations with its autonomous capabilities.
The programme reached a tangible milestone at the end of 2025 with the completion of the 42nd vehicle produced at the Pocasset facility. The project covers a five year timeline, with a target of reaching up to 200 vehicles and a contract value expected to exceed 347 million US dollars.
Multi Mission Capability Underwater
The Lionfish was designed to meet a wide range of underwater operational needs. The platform’s core mission set includes mine countermeasures, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks, as well as capabilities that support anti submarine warfare and electronic warfare operations.
Modular Architecture for Future Adaptability
Duane Fotheringham, President of the Unmanned Systems Group at HII Mission Technologies, described the new contract as a reflection of the US Navy’s confidence in the platform’s performance, reliability and adaptability. He said the company remains focused on delivering advanced autonomous capabilities to sailors and marines.
The REMUS 300 based Lionfish features a modular and open architecture that allows new payloads to be quickly integrated into the system. This design makes future technology upgrades easier to implement while helping the platform stay cost effective throughout its life cycle.
HII has delivered more than 700 REMUS platforms to over 30 countries, including 14 NATO member nations. The fact that more than 90 percent of the systems delivered over the past 25 years are still on active duty speaks to the platform’s durability.
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Source: C4Defence-HII Mission Technologies
