USN asks Hydroid for MK 18 payload upgrade hardware
The MK 18 UUV for the USN is based on the Remus 600. (Photo: Hydroid)
MK 18 UUV to receive Increment II hardware.
Huntington Ingalls Industries underwater technology subsidiary Hydroid is providing Increment II payload upgrade hardware to the USN in support of the MK 18 Mod 2 Unmanned Underwater Vehicle programme.
Work on the $74.7 million IDIQ contract, awarded by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, is scheduled for completion in April 2026.
Based on the Remus 600, the USN MK 18 is a highly configurable vehicle with a maximum operating depth of 600m.
Deployable from vessels as small as an 11m rigid hull inflatable boat and with a maximum mission duration of 24h, the vehicle can be outfitted with a broad range of sensors to meet the requirements of missions such as organic mine countermeasure, hydrographic survey, area search, surveillance and reconnaissance.
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