HII said the Portchester site will also act as a European hub for its Mission Technologies division, providing collaborative customer support for U.S. combatant commands and allied missions. The facility will deliver operational, technical and logistics support for electronic warfare, C5ISR systems, fleet modernisation, artificial intelligence capabilities and live, virtual and constructive training.
The company said the facility will also prepare the region for the deployment and sustainment of its ROMULUS family of unmanned surface vessels, which are scheduled to be available in 2026. ROMULUS is a modular, AI-enabled platform powered by HII’s Odyssey Autonomous Control System.
The expanded facility will operate as a regional hub staffed by U.K. employees and is expected to support job creation, supplier engagement, maintenance, training and long-term sustainment across the U.K. and Europe. HII said the site will work closely with its global engineering, production and mission support teams to maintain programme alignment.
“This new HII Portchester facility reinforces HII’s long term presence in the United Kingdom and provides a strong foundation for future cooperation,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of Mission Technologies’ Unmanned Systems business group. “It ensures that U.K. and European operators, suppliers, and partners of ROMULUS USVs and REMUS UUVs receive regional access to world class support, training and sustainment.”
HII said its REMUS unmanned underwater vehicles are in service with more than 30 countries, including 14 NATO members, and have been used by the Royal Navy since 2001. The company added that more than 90 percent of REMUS units delivered over the past 23 years remain in service, highlighting durability and long-term lifecycle value.
