Underwater Intelligence: Exploring the Capabilities of HII’s REMUS

An Inside Look at the Evolution of HII’s Remus and BlueZone Group

The REMUS Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are designed for a wide range of applications including naval, hydrographic, and ocean science. Each model is tailored for specific operational needs, but shares a modular, open-architecture platform that allows for flexibility and customisation.

Core Capabilities across the REMUS models include

MCM– detecting and classifying underwater mines
Hydrographic Surveys: Mapping the seafloor with high-resolution sonar
Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR): Gathering data in contested or remote environments
Environmental Monitoring: Measuring water quality, currents, and other oceanographic parameters
Search & Recovery: Locating debris fields, wreckage, or lost equipment

Building on more than a decade of hands-on experience supporting REMUS AUVs, BlueZone Group was officially appointed as Australia’s authorised service centre for REMUS in 2022. This recognition by HII reflects BlueZone’s technical expertise, long-standing commitment to the REMUS platform, and proven capability in delivering high-quality maintenance, integration, and support services to defence and marine clients across the region.

Expanding on our role as REMUS’ depot-level service centre in the region, HII welcomed two of our technicians for specialised, hands-on operator training. BlueZone’s Senior Technician, Grant, states “training opportunities at our partnered facilities, provides me with the opportunity to learn more about the products we service”. This program provided in-depth instruction on system operation, mission planning, and maintenance procedures—equipping our team with advanced technical knowledge and practical experience to better support REMUS deployments in the field.

Domestic repair and support capability eliminates the costly and time-consuming need to ship equipment overseas for repairs. This local resource boosts operational uptime, streamlines maintenance, and delivers significant savings in both time and resources for our partners. Most importantly, it strengthens Australia’s sovereign supply chain and enhances national readiness by ensuring critical assets remain mission-ready and locally supported.

BlueZone Group is also supporting the development of the REMUS 300 program in Australia. The REMUS 300 provides the user with world leading capabilities in military survey and MCM with an integrated Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) from Kraken Robotics and Seebyte’s Mission Management System (MMS). The system offers real-time sonar processing during surveys, significantly reducing post-processing time and enhancing overall efficiency. Additionally, the integration of Seebyte MMS enables coordinated control of multiple units, supporting more complex and advanced operations. This integrated solution will undoubtedly enhance operator safety while enabling more effective execution of missions for military survey and MCM capability.

Summary of REMUS models

REMUS 100 UUV Variants- compact, lightweight AUVs best used in shallow water (100m) for search areas, debris field mapping and topographic ocean floor mapping.

REMUS 300M UUV- a small class UUV best used for MCMs and underwater surveys for port and harbour clearance up to 300m. With increased modularity and maximum payload flexibility, the REMUS 300M can be tailored to your operational requirements.

HII REMUS 600M UUV- a medium class UUV, specifically designed for operations requiring extended endurance, increased payload capacity and a greater operating depth. Best used for MCMs, SAR operations, and underwater surveys for port and harbour clearance up to 600m.

HII REMUS 620 UUV- Designed for greater efficiency and modularity, the 620 is deployable from submarines, small manned or unmanned boats, amphibious ships and helicopters. 620 has the largest battery life, up to 110hrs, its multi-day endurance makes it ideal for mine countermeasures, hydrographic surveys, intelligence collection, surveillance, and electronic warfare.

REMUS 6000 UUV- Uniquely suited for search and recovery operations at significant depths and has been used to locate many famous World War II wrecks from 2017 to 2019. Designed with increased modular payload, allows for integration of multiple advanced sensors to meet specific mission requirements. Ideal for commercial, marine research and defence applications requiring wide area coverage.

For more information on the REMUS, please Contact the BlueZone Group sales team.

Read More:

HII REMUS AUVs

BlueZone Group: Supporting REMUS UUVs Across Australia and the Pacific

HII’s REMUS 6000 Assisted in Locating WWII Wrecks