HII Successfully Demonstrates Sea Launcher, Ship-Based Automated Launch and Recovery of REMUS Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Rhea-AI Summary

HII (NYSE: HII) demonstrated shipboard automated launch and recovery of a REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle using its Sea Launcher system on Jan. 13, 2026.

HII validated an end-to-end autonomous launch and recovery sequence with a representative REMUS configured for real-world mission conditions, mirroring recovery procedures used in U.S. Navy and allied deployments. The test highlights integration with HII ROMULUS unmanned surface vessels and aims to reduce sailor risk, expand mission range, and improve operational availability in contested or high-sea-state environments.

News Market Reaction

+3.37% 2.0x vol

9 alerts

+3.37% News Effect

+3.0% Peak in 10 hr 41 min

+$527M Valuation Impact

$16.15B Market Cap

2.0x Rel. Volume

On the day this news was published, HII gained 3.37%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +3.0% during that session. Our momentum scanner triggered 9 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $527M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $16.15B at that time. Trading volume was above average at 2.0x the daily average, suggesting increased trading activity.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Navies using REMUS: more than 30 navies Announcement date: Jan. 13, 2026

2 metrics

Navies using REMUS more than 30 navies REMUS adoption across global naval customers

Announcement date Jan. 13, 2026 Sea Launcher and REMUS shipboard demonstration news

Market Reality Check

Price: $422.68 Vol: Volume 587,241 is 1.1x th...

normal vol

$422.68 Last Close

Volume Volume 587,241 is 1.1x the 20-day average of 534,971, indicating elevated interest. normal

Technical Price at $398.25 is trading above the 200-day MA of $269.89 and sits 0.34% below the 52-week high.

Peers on Argus

HII gained 2.91% while peers were mixed: DRS -0.34%, ERJ -0.54%, AVAV +0.27%, KT...

HII gained 2.91% while peers were mixed: DRS -0.34%, ERJ -0.54%, AVAV +0.27%, KTOS +0.86%, WWD +1.05%, suggesting a stock-specific reaction to the REMUS/Sea Launcher news.

Common Catalyst Both HII and peer AVAV issued unmanned systems news, but only one peer headline was recorded today, pointing to company-specific rather than broad sector news.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Jan 07 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Jan 07	Leadership visit	Positive	-3.0%	Top Navy leaders toured Ingalls and discussed future shipbuilding plans.
Jan 05	Leadership visit	Positive	+1.1%	Secretary of War visited Newport News and reviewed major ship programs.
Dec 29	Ship delivery	Positive	-1.1%	Delivered Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128) to U.S. Navy.
Dec 19	New contract award	Positive	+4.3%	Selected to design and build the Navy’s future small surface combatant.
Dec 16	Construction milestone	Positive	-0.7%	Achieved pressure hull complete milestone on Virginia-class submarine Oklahoma.

Pattern Detected

Recent news has been consistently positive (contracts, milestones, VIP visits), but price reactions have been mixed, with more divergences than alignments.

Recent Company History

Over the past month, HII has released several positive operational updates. On Dec 16, 2025, it marked a construction milestone on submarine Oklahoma (SSN 802). On Dec 19, 2025, Ingalls was selected to build the Navy’s future small surface combatant. HII then delivered destroyer Ted Stevens (DDG 128) on Dec 29, 2025, and hosted senior defense leaders at both Ingalls and Newport News in early Jan 2026. Today’s REMUS/Sea Launcher autonomy demonstration extends this theme of capability and production milestones across HII’s naval portfolio.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement showcased a successful automated launch and recovery demonstration for the REMUS a...

Analysis

This announcement showcased a successful automated launch and recovery demonstration for the REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle using HII’s Sea Launcher system, underscoring the company’s role in unmanned maritime capabilities. With REMUS used by more than 30 navies, the test reinforces existing adoption and HII’s strategy of integrating UUVs with ROMULUS unmanned surface vessels and manned ships. Investors may track future contracts, follow-on deployments, and additional integration milestones to gauge how this technology translates into sustained demand.

Key Terms

autonomous underwater vehicle, uuv, unmanned surface vessels, manned-unmanned teaming, +1 more

5 terms

autonomous underwater vehicle technical

"successful shipboard deployment and recovery of a REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle (UUV)"

An autonomous underwater vehicle is an unmanned, self-propelled robotic craft that operates beneath the surface, navigating with sensors and programmed instructions; think of it as a drone for the ocean. Investors care because these vehicles let companies inspect infrastructure, map seabeds, gather scientific or commercial data and reduce human risk and operating costs, so advances or contracts can drive revenue, cut expenses and change competitive positions.

uuv technical

"REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle (UUV) using the company’s automated launch"

An UUV is an unmanned underwater vehicle — essentially a robotic “drone” that operates beneath the surface without a person aboard, used for tasks like mapping the seafloor, inspecting infrastructure, collecting scientific data, or conducting naval surveillance. Investors care because UUVs represent a growing niche in defense, energy, and marine services: companies that build or operate them can win government contracts, long-term service agreements, or technology licensing, but they also face heavy development costs and regulatory or operational risks.

unmanned surface vessels technical

"ROMULUS family of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) currently in production"

Autonomous or remotely controlled boats that operate on the water’s surface without an onboard crew, like self-driving cars for rivers, lakes and oceans. Investors watch them because they can cut labor and fuel costs, enable new services (surveying, shipping, surveillance) and win government or commercial contracts, but their value also depends on regulatory approval, reliability and cybersecurity—factors that affect revenue and risk.

manned-unmanned teaming technical

"key milestone in advancing operationally proven manned-unmanned teaming for maritime missions"

Manned-unmanned teaming describes coordinated operations where people in crewed platforms (like ships, aircraft, or vehicles) work together with remote or autonomous systems (drones, robots, or sensors) to accomplish tasks. Think of it as a driver and a robotic scout cooperating: the human sets goals and makes complex decisions while the unmanned systems extend reach, gather data, or handle routine work. Investors care because this approach can expand capability, reduce personnel risk, alter procurement spending, and create new technology and maintenance revenue streams, while also introducing integration and regulatory risks.

mine countermeasures technical

"for missions including mine countermeasures, undersea survey, intelligence collection"

Mine countermeasures are the tools and activities used to find, disable, remove or avoid explosive mines in water and on the seabed, protecting ships, ports and offshore operations. Think of it like a specialized cleanup crew that detects hidden hazards and clears safe passages; for investors, demand for these services and technologies affects defense contractors, marine-service providers and companies involved in shipping and port security, especially in regions with heightened naval risk.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

POCASSET, Mass., Jan. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII (NYSE: HII), the world’s leading manufacturer of autonomous underwater unmanned vehicles, announced today the successful shipboard deployment and recovery of a REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle (UUV) using the company’s automated launch and recovery system, Sea Launcher.

The demonstration represents a key milestone in advancing operationally proven manned-unmanned teaming for maritime missions and highlights HII’s ability to integrate mature automation and autonomy into ship-ready systems, including the HII ROMULUS family of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) currently in production.

During recent testing, HII validated key aspects of system performance to support a fully autonomous, end-to-end launch and recovery sequence. The test used a representative vehicle configured for real-world mission conditions and mirrored a recovery procedure that has been proven in deployments repeatedly across U.S. Navy and allied operations.

Automated launch and recovery significantly reduces risk to sailors, expands mission range and flexibility, and shortens mission timelines. These advantages are particularly important in contested or high-sea-state environments, where minimizing hands-on deck operations improves safety and operational availability.

A photo and video accompanying this release are available at: http://hii.com/news/hii-successfully-demonstrates-sea-launcher-ship-based-automated-launch-and-recovery-of-remus-autonomous-underwater-vehicle/.

“This is proven technology applied in a highly relevant shipboard configuration,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of Mission Technologies’ Unmanned Systems business group. “REMUS has successfully performed autonomous line capture and recovery for years. What this demonstration shows is how seamlessly that capability integrates with automated launch and recovery systems onboard manned or unmanned vessels to support modern maritime operations.”

REMUS is one of the most widely deployed autonomous underwater vehicle families in the world, trusted by more than 30 navies for missions including mine countermeasures, undersea survey, intelligence collection, and environmental sensing. Its modular design and open architecture allow it to operate independently or as part of a distributed maritime force, teaming with crewed ships, unmanned surface vessels, and other undersea platforms.

“This demonstration reinforces the value of REMUS within a distributed maritime operating model,” Fotheringham added. “Whether operating alongside manned platforms or coordinating with other unmanned systems, REMUS provides commanders with a reliable and flexible capability they already know and trust.”

Looking ahead, HII plans to continue integrating REMUS with its new ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel (USV) family, as well as a range of manned and unmanned ships, to support evolving customer requirements across U.S. and allied navies.

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

Contact:

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

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7dcd6bbb-68b0-4291-a4c4-98e216c4a982

FAQ

What did HII announce about Sea Launcher and REMUS on Jan. 13, 2026?

HII announced a successful shipboard demonstration of automated launch and recovery of a REMUS UUV using its Sea Launcher system.

How does the Sea Launcher demonstration affect HII (HII) operations?

The demonstration validated an end-to-end autonomous launch and recovery sequence, supporting safer, faster missions and integration with ROMULUS USVs.

Which REMUS capabilities were highlighted in HII's Jan. 13, 2026 demonstration?

The test used a representative REMUS configured for real-world conditions and mirrored proven autonomous line capture and recovery procedures.

Will HII integrate REMUS with ROMULUS USVs after the Sea Launcher test?

HII plans to continue integrating REMUS with the ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel family and other manned and unmanned ships to meet customer needs.

What operational benefits did HII cite from automated launch and recovery for HII (HII)?

HII said automated launch and recovery reduces sailor risk, expands mission range and flexibility, and shortens mission timelines, especially in high-sea-state environments.