- by THS:UKI Manager
- 11 June 2024
- Corporate Member News
Kongsberg Discovery successfully completed in-water demonstrations of the HUGIN Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) as part of the commercial evaluation of Large Diameter Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) systems by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the U.S. Navy.
It was announced in January this year that Kongsberg Discovery was awarded a contract with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to rapidly deliver HUGIN Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) capabilities for the U.S. Military. In April a delegation from the U.S came to Horten in Norway for a comprehensive week-long demonstration. It provided the opportunity to showcase systems that reflect Kongsberg’s unmatched and proven AUV technology developed over the last 30 years.
Topics included operations, design philosophy, systems approach, sensors, batteries, navigation, autonomy, manufacturing, physical vehicle portfolio, and hands-on familiarization of our user interfaces.
Kongsberg produces three models that fall into the LDUUV category as defined by U.S. Navy. The newest and most capable of those is HUGIN Endurance. Since the start of the HUGIN program, Kongsberg has delivered more than 100 HUGIN AUV systems globally for both commercial and government customers.
Today there are 12 navies using HUGIN in real world missions such as IPoE (Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment), MCM (Mine Counter Measure), SSW (Subsea and Seabed Warfare), and seafloor mapping operations.
“I am extremely pleased with the visit and demonstrations we held for the team sent by DIU and the U.S. Navy. The visitors were provided a unique opportunity to both see in-water capabilities and shoreside sessions to introduce Kongsberg’s experience in the deep water AUV space. It was terrific to have the DIU and U.S. Navy team visit and allow us to show off our own amazing team and world renowned HUGIN AUVs. We are honored to be a part of the U.S. Navy’s LDUUV effort and are excited to receive additional feedback. Our business model is tightly intertwined with our customers, and we get better through them,” said Espen Henriksen, Executive Vice President Uncrewed Platforms Division.
For more info: A full week of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle demonstrations