New AUV completes US Navy acceptance tests

One year after being awarded a 24-month frame contract for Large Diameter Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (LDUUV) by the US Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Norwegian unmanned systems specialist Kongsberg completed acceptance testing and delivery of a new Hugin Superior autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to the US Navy.

This final testing was completed at the beginning of the year in Norway. The vehicle will now be used to enhance the US Navy's undersea capabilities.

Examples of the AUV have been in active use by both commercial and military customers since 2019. It provides immediate operational capability for subsea and seabed warfare (SSW), intelligence preparation of the operational environment (IPoE), mine countermeasures (MCM), and inspection of critical undersea infrastructure at delivery with no required modifications.

The AUV boasts an endurance of over 70 hours, a navigational accuracy of just 0.04 per cent of distance travelled, and multiple mapping and imaging sensors.

In 2024, the DIU team performed a rigorous technology assessment that culminated in the order and delivery of a the AUV system in a short time.