Hydroid, Inc., the leading manufacturer of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), announced today that it has received multiple delivery orders under an existing U.S. Navy contract to provide three additional MK 18 Mod 1 Swordfish variants of the REMUS 100 to the Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Command (NOMWC) headquartered at Stennis Space Center, Miss in partnership with PMS 408 (EOD).
"NOMWC has been using older REMUS vehicles, some original Navy prototypes, for the last couple of years so we are very pleased that they've elected to acquire the newest and most capable of the REMUS 100 systems" said Christopher von Alt, president of Hydroid Inc. "REMUS is the only combat proven AUV and was used by Mine Counter Measures (MCM) forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Now our understanding is that these systems will be used to help safeguard vital U.S. ports and harbours against maritime terrorist threats."
NOMWC, located at Stennis Space Center, Miss, operates UUVs in support of the Navy's operational Mine Warfare force. These new systems will provide NOMWC's UUV Platoon an expeditionary capability to measure physical characteristics of the underwater environment and identify submerged objects, primarily in confined harbours and restricted waterways.
Cmdr. Matt Borbash, NOMWC commanding officer comments, "UUVs have proven to be a force multiplier in mine countermeasures operations with the added benefit of environmental data collection, whether in-stride of mine hunting or during baseline oceanographic survey missions. This purchase significantly increases our inventory and capacity to conduct cyclical AUV missions, greatly enhancing our mission capability." Delivery is expected in early 2011.
Hydroid Inc. holds the exclusive license from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for the manufacture and further development of the REMUS Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) technology. In June 2008, Hydroid was acquired by Kongsberg Maritime, and now offers the REMUS and HUGIN family of autonomous vehicles that meet a full range of autonomous needs.