Successful US Navy acceptance tests for Hugin

Norwegian company Kongsberg has completed acceptance testing and delivery of the first HUGIN Superior Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and US Navy. The company’s Large Diameter Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (LDUUV) was delivered only one year after being awarded a 24-month contract by the DIU and US Navy.

The vehicle will now go on to provide real-world operational capability, says Kongsberg. The completion of this effort is a testament to DIU’s commitment to fulfilling its mission of accelerating the adoption of commercial technology for national security, the company adds.

“Kongsberg is excited to be expanding our relationship with the US Navy and provide the cutting-edge capabilities that come standard with our HUGIN Superior AUV system,” said Rich Patterson, Kongsberg’s Vice President of Sales, Uncrewed Platforms Division. “We applaud the DIU team for enabling this transfer of capability to the warfighter at an accelerated pace and look forward to valuable operator feedback and continued partnership to further evolve our product line.”

Kongsberg’s HUGIN Superior has been in active service with 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 company says. With full ocean depth design, an endurance of over 70 hours, a navigational accuracy of <0.04% of distance travelled, and multiple mapping and imaging sensors, it leads the large AUV market in reliability and capability, says Kongsberg.