HII to Produce More Lionfish Underwater Drones for US Navy
HII has secured a $36.9-million contract to produce additional Lionfish small unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) for the US Navy.
The order is part of the force’s ongoing program to expand its subsurface autonomous fleet for independent or larger operations alongside crewed naval platforms, improving range, stealth, and crew safety.
Under the contract, HII will also produce related support equipment, with work set to take place in Massachusetts and Virginia.
The project is expected to conclude by May 2027.
HII revealed last January that it had concluded the final base-year production for the Lionfish program, completing 42 vehicle hulls in total.
The announcement came less than a year after shipments of the drones began in April 2025.
The firm is expected to continue manufacturing the fleet for the effort through 2028, with orders open for up to 200 UUVs.
The Lionfish UUV
The Lionfish system is modeled after HII’s Remus 300 UUV and features a modular design that allows upgrades for future mission requirements.
Remus 300 was selected in 2022 to replace the navy’s Swordfish underwater drone fleet, which was derived from another Remus 100 platform and deployed for similar tasks.
It measures about 10 feet (3 meters) long, weighs up to 154 pounds (70 kilograms), and has a charging time of up to 18 hours, depending on configuration.
The drone is equipped with a three-blade propeller, acoustic and communication solutions, LED and infrared lights, and a global positioning unit.
During operations, Remus 300 can reach a top speed of 5 knots (9 kilometers/6 miles per hour), a depth of up to 1,000 feet (305 meters), and a range of 165 kilometers (103 miles).
