Thales and HII demonstrate successful integration of SAMDIS 600 sonar with REMUS 620 UUV

HII REMUS 620 UUV fitted with the Thales SAMDIS 600 Multi-View SAS ready for integration sea trials @Thales

(IN BRIEF) Thales and HII have successfully completed field trials integrating the Thales SAMDIS 600 sonar with the HII REMUS 620 unmanned underwater vehicle at HII’s Pocasset facility in Massachusetts. The joint effort demonstrated advanced mine detection, classification, and seabed imaging capabilities, bringing together Thales’ world-leading sonar expertise with HII’s adaptable, long-endurance UUV design. Thales’ Paul Armstrong emphasized SAMDIS’ precision and efficiency, while HII’s Duane Fotheringham noted the milestone as proof of the REMUS 620’s adaptability and the strength of cross-industry partnerships. The collaboration builds on both companies’ global leadership in naval sonar and autonomous undersea vehicles, advancing capabilities for NATO and allied forces.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 9-Sep-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Thales and HII have successfully completed the integration and sea trials of the Thales SAMDIS 600 multi-view synthetic aperture sonar on HII’s REMUS 620 Medium Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV). Conducted in August at HII’s Pocasset facility in Massachusetts, the trials confirmed the compatibility of Thales’ cutting-edge sonar with HII’s modular, long-endurance UUV platform, marking an important step forward in autonomous mine countermeasure and subsea security capabilities.

The SAMDIS 600 provides ultra-high-resolution, multi-aspect imagery that enhances mine detection, classification, and seabed mapping. When combined with the endurance and modular design of the REMUS 620, the integrated system delivers a powerful tool for navies and partners worldwide to conduct undersea missions with greater speed, precision, and safety.

Thales SAMDIS 600 ultra high resolution image of rock cluster, 2.5 x 1.25 cm resolution @Thales

Paul Armstrong, Managing Director of Underwater Systems at Thales UK, highlighted the impact: “SAMDIS empowers missions with high-resolution acoustic identification and operational efficiency. This achievement demonstrates the value of our collaboration with HII and underlines the importance of industry partnerships in delivering advanced solutions to naval forces globally.”

Duane Fotheringham, president of HII’s Mission Technologies Unmanned Systems business group, added: “Integrating Thales’ SAMDIS 600 sensor on the REMUS 620 showcases the adaptability of our vehicle and the benefits of combining expertise across companies. Together, we are strengthening allied undersea dominance with interoperable, next-generation solutions.”

The collaboration leverages Thales’ long-standing role as the world’s leading exporter of naval sonar systems and HII’s proven track record with more than 700 REMUS vehicles delivered to over 30 countries, including 14 NATO members. By combining SAMDIS’ advanced imaging with REMUS’ modular design, the two companies are enabling future-ready undersea operations that improve mission tempo, reduce personnel risk, and support sustained defense capability.

About HII

HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII’s mission is to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.

As the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:

• HII on the web: https://www.HII.com/
• HII on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamHII
• HII on X: https://www.twitter.com/WeAreHII
• HII on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WeAreHII

About the REMUS UUV

The REMUS UUV family delivers critical advantages across modern naval operations and the autonomous systems have been proven to operate independently or in conjunction with crewed platforms. This includes the recent successful demonstration of the launch and recover of REMUS autonomous undersea vehicles from the torpedo tubes of Virginia-class nuclear submarines. This capability will significantly extend mission range, reduce detection risk, and limit personnel exposure.

The REMUS open-architecture design allows rapid payload integration, enabling mission-specific configurations and future tech insertions, key factors in maintaining operational relevance and cost efficiency over time.

To date, HII has sold more than 700 REMUS vehicles to over 30 countries, including 14 NATO members. Notably, over 90% of REMUS units delivered in the past 23 years remain in service, demonstrating platform durability and lifecycle value both critical in defense acquisition decision-making

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.

Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

About Thales SAMDIS Sonar

Thales’ Synthetic Aperture Mine Detection and Imaging Sonar (SAMDIS) is an operationally proven, ultra-high-resolution, multi-view Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) system that delivers market-leading constant resolution at range, including co-registered bathymetric data. Its unique multi-view capability provides three independent high-resolution views (+30°, 0°, -30°) of a contact in a single pass, offering the critical aspect change needed for accurate seabed contact classification. SAMDIS’ market-leading SAS performance ensures superior mission effectiveness, while the multi-view mode enhances mission efficiency by reducing false alarm rates, minimizing time-consuming interventions, increasing overall mission tempo.

Featuring a modular design, SAMDIS can be integrated with a wide range of vehicles, offering configurable array sizes to optimize performance according to vehicle speed. The system is available in a range of depth-rated options, including deep water. All SAMDIS configurations provide full-resolution data in real-time onboard the vehicle, requiring no post-processing to achieve full resolution. This capability supports enhanced embedded Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) and advanced operating modes, such as circular SAS (C-SAS).

Thales has delivered over 30 SAMDIS systems, with more than 50 on order, to navies including those of the UK, France, Japan, and an Asian Country. These systems meet diverse operational requirements, enabling efficient and effective mine hunting in complex and challenging environments.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

HII

Greg McCarthy
+1 (202) 264-7126
gregory.j.mccarthy@hii-co.com

Thales

Camille Heck

+33 (0)6 73 78 33 63
camille.heck@thalesgroup.com

SOURCE: Thales