Naval Warfare

USN asks Hydroid for MK 18 payload upgrade hardware

14th April 2021 - 10:07 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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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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