US shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries announced on Thursday that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Hydroid Inc., a leading provider of advanced marine robotics to the defense and maritime markets.
In conjunction with the transaction, HII and Kongsberg Maritime, the former parent company of Hydroid, have established a strategic alliance to jointly market naval and maritime products and services to the US government market and potentially to global markets.
The acquisition of Hydroid, based in Pocasset, Massachusetts, expands HII’s capabilities in the autonomous and unmanned maritime systems market.
Hydroid will become part of HII’s Technical Solutions Unmanned Systems business unit that now includes unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) such as the Orca extra-large UUV that is produced in partnership with Boeing as well as Proteus, a large, dual-mode UUV operated out of Panama City, Florida.
With the addition of Hydroid, HII now has capabilities in the medium and small UUV space from the REMUS and Seaglider autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) or marine robots.
“The combination of HII and Hydroid brings together the full range of UUVs,” said Andy Green, HII executive vice president and president of Technical Solutions. “Combined, we can now offer a comprehensive suite of autonomous underwater vehicle systems that address our customers’ needs.”
Hydroid has over 15 years of experience providing the US Navy and its allies with the most combat-proven UUVs in the world. For intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications, Hydroid’s UUVs deliver sensors to sensitive areas, collecting data in all operational environments. Their vehicles have also been involved with undersea mine countermeasures. Hydroid’s UUVs located Air France Flight 447 wreckage and generated 3D mapping of the Titanic. And their vehicles offer scientists data relevant to climate change and other environmental issues.
Duane Fotheringham, who previously served as Hydroid’s president and chairman of the board, will serve as president of Unmanned Systems, reporting to Green.
Mary White, who previously served as Technical Solution’s senior director of unmanned maritime systems, will serve as vice president of operations and strategy for the new Unmanned Systems business, reporting to Fotheringham.
