Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has secured a contract from the Defense Innovation Unit of the US Department of Defense to provide a system for the autonomous launch and recovery of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) from submarines. The technology is designed to deploy these craft from US Navy torpedo tubes.
The agreement follows previous testing involving the Virginia-class submarine Delaware during June 2025.
The company noted that it is developing integrated capabilities to expand the operational reach of the US Navy.
During the June 2025 tests, the Delaware and a specialised squadron conducted three autonomous sorties without the assistance of divers. These operations demonstrated the launch and recovery of a HII-built UUV through the submarine's torpedo tube.
A separate test at Seneca Lake, New York, occurred in July 2025 involving a test fixture for Virginia-class vessels. During this event, a newer HII-built UUV completed a recovery into a torpedo tube and shutterway.
The vehicle demonstrated autonomous navigation and successfully docked with a shock and fire enclosure capsule. This integration through standard interfaces is intended to reduce risks and the burden on crews, HII stated.
