Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has selected Kraken Robotics to provide a sensor for the new Remus 620 underwater drone.
Under the agreement, Kraken will deliver its AquaPix Miniature Synthetic Aperture Sonar system for the subsurface vehicle.
The contract follows the Remus 620’s launch in November. According to HII, the drone is based on features from its previous Remus 300 variant.
AquaPix features increased resolution and area coverage for mine countermeasure (MCM) operations.
The sensor prevents false positives from automatic target recognition software and human operators during MCMs, reducing users’ data verification and operational timelines.
The Remus 620 drone has a maximum range of 275 nautical miles (509 kilometers/316 miles) and a battery that can run for 110 hours.
Kraken’s AquaPix
The AquaPix has been integrated with other HII unmanned systems for several NATO customers to increase the alliance’s minehunting and MCM capabilities.
According to Kraken, its partnership with HII highlights the interoperability between the sensor’s system design and the Remus 620’s payload battery architecture.
The sensor’s 60-centimeter and 120-centimeter modular architecture allows users to integrate additional payloads and power sources with the drone as needed.
Minehunting Systems in Canada
Earlier this month, Kraken signed a contract to deliver an AquaPix-equipped remote minehunting disposal drone for the Royal Canadian Navy Minehunting Program.
The vehicles will be handed over to naval bases in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Esquimalt, British Columbia, and used for anti-mine warfare missions with partner nations and United Nations peace operations.
