As part of the renowned Remus family of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the 620 model represents a leap in modular, long-endurance technology designed for naval applications.
America finds itself in an entirely new era of high-tech, increasingly automated, and competitive geopolitics. With the United States no longer the world-dominating hegemon, the world system has fractured into a messy tripolar one that is unevenly sliding into true multipolarity.
In this morass, the once-vaunted US military dominance that all Americans took for granted is gone. Indeed, the United States militarily, economically, and culturally remains in decline relative to the ascendant Sino-Russian, Eurasian axis.
This trend can still be reversed, and to stay competitive and relevant in this changing age, the Americans are rapidly working on creating their own fleets of advanced drones. Specifically, the Americans are intent on catching up to their Russian and Chinese competitors in the naval domain. This domain would be especially vital in the event of war with Beijing, which would be conducted predominantly across the expansive waters of the Indo-Pacific. The Chinese have done a good job of creating anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities to stunt traditional forms of US military power projection into their near-abroad. Now the Americans must find ways to fight back.
Introducing the Remus 620 Naval Drone
Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), better known as naval drones, will be key for the Americans in any fight with China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Enter the Remus 620, a cutting-edge medium-class unmanned underwater vehicle (MUUV) developed by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) in collaboration with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).
As part of the renowned Remus family of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the 620 model represents a leap in modular, long-endurance technology designed for naval applications. Launched in 2023, it addresses the United States Navy’s need for versatile, stealthy platforms capable of operating in contested maritime environments.
With its open architecture, the Remus 620 supports a wide array of missions, including intelligence-gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), mine countermeasures, hydrographic surveys, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and electronic warfare (EW). The vehicle enhances America’s naval operations by integrating seamlessly with crewed platforms, such as the Virginia-class submarines, while minimizing risks to personnel. Think of the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), or “Loyal Wingman” program for their new warplanes, but adapted to the wide expanses of the ocean.
The Remus 620 Drone’s Specifications
The Remus 620 boasts impressive specifications that set it apart from its predecessors. It features a modular design with customizable payload modules—dry or wet—and universal bulkhead adapters for secondary payloads, allowing rapid integration of customer-specific tools.
Powered by replaceable battery modules, it achieves an endurance of up to 110 hours and a range of 275 nautical miles (316 land miles), enabling extended missions without frequent resurfacing.
Capable of up to eight knots (nine miles per hour), the Remus 620 is the ultimate maritime stealth attack craft. Advanced sensors, including the Kraken Aquapix Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar for high-resolution imaging and environmental probes for parameters like conductivity, temperature, and turbidity, further bolster the drone’s mission flexibility. Cyber-ready features, such as tool-less removable hard drives and secure interfaces, prepare it for modern digital threats.
Recent updates underscore the Remus 620’s maturation and readiness for deployment. In January of this year, it successfully completed the Navy’s UUV Confidence Course in Bangor, Washington—a rigorous evaluation validating its technical performance. Progress updates continue regularly; last week, a joint team from HII, WHOI, and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport validated the Remus 620 for torpedo tube deployment.
America Needs More Submarine Drones!
The dry-run test confirmed compatibility with the Shock and Fire Enclosure Capsule (SAFECAP), Virginia-class submarine weapons handling systems, and Mk71 torpedo tubes in the Virginia-class Cradle Payload Integration Facility. These developments position the Remus 620 as a key asset for the Navy in maintaining competitiveness amid modern warfare’s constantly evolving challenges.
In an era dominated by anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategies from adversaries like China and Russia, the vehicle’s submarine-launch capability extends operational reach, allowing stealthy deployment from submerged platforms without exposing submarines to surface threats.
This reduces detection risks and personnel exposure while enabling persistent undersea presence for ISR and mine hunting in contested littoral areas such as the Taiwan Strait or South China Sea.
As time progresses, it will become increasingly clear that the age of manned warfighting platforms—whether they be aircraft, tanks, or ships and submarines—has come to an end. The country that realizes this first will have major first-mover advantages whenever the next great power truly erupts.
Right now, the Americans are playing catch-up to the Chinese and the Russians in this domain. But the Remus 620 is the right platform with which to catch up.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image courtesy of HII, Inc.
