LYNNWOOD—Norwegian company Kongsberg Discovery has decided to manufacture its HUGIN Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) in the United States, beginning at its existing facility in the heart of Lynnwood. This is the first time Kongsberg will be manufacturing AUVs outside of Scandinavia.
AUV’s are free-swimming, electric, vessels preprogrammed with a specific mission in mind. HUGIN collects data from many different sensors concurrently, providing a comprehensive geophysical dataset from a single mission up to 6,000 meters (nearly 20,000 feet) below the ocean’s surface. They can be (and are) used for a variety of different services from naval, to fish finding, to seafloor mapping, to ocean science, to communications, and more.
Approximately 50% of Kongsberg’s customer base is in the military but its products are also often used by ocean scientists and researchers.
HUGIN has a battery life beginning at 24-hours and stretching into 15 days, depending on model, and can travel up to 4 knots. The different HUGIN models include the Endurance, the Superior, the HUGIN 3000 and 6000, respectively, and the HUGIN Edge.
Kongsberg’s Washington manufacturing will assemble models as large as the HUGIN Superior in Lynnwood and supply the U.S. as well as Norway. While manufacturing is set to begin in Lynnwood Kongsberg hopes to secure a new manufacturing site (ideally on the Puget Sound) at a later date.
According to Jake Sobin, Director of Government Relations for Kongsberg, Puget Sound, of all places, was chosen as the ideal location – outside of Norway – for its similar waters to the Norwegian Sea, where several fjords mimic the Sound and its various islands. The temperature, depth, and sheltered water are also similar.
However, the Norwegian manufacturer has met some hurdles from the U.S. Federal Government lately that have set them back from obtaining that mission – specifically with potential changes to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) by the Department of State.
For example, a proposed amendment to the U.S. Munitions List (USML) will significantly impact U.S.-based civilian operations of deep-water autonomous underwater vehicles by imposing restrictive weight and endurance thresholds.
On Thursday, July 31, Representative Rick Larsen (D-02) visited Kongsberg’s facility in Lynnwood to hear some of these challenges firsthand.
One of the requests Kongsberg had Thursday was for Rep. Larsen to secure funding for the project, as contracts can be “sporadic or not properly funded,” the company said, which can hinder commercial investments in increased manufacturing.
After meeting with Kongsberg Executives, Larsen was given a tour of the facility to see products up close and learn about just how the HUGIN innovates maritime and military technology.
About Kongsberg Discovery
Kongsberg has been a leader in Norwegian industry since being founded by Poul Steenstrup in 1814 as a rifle factory arming the Norwegian Armed Forces. For years Kongsberg produced innovative arms for Norway, and other countries, throughout various conflicts – including the First World War, the Spanish Civil War, and the Second World War.
By the 1950’s Kongsberg was no longer under military command and the Norwegian Parliament approved a largescale modernization of the company, to meet the military needs of the Norwegian Armed Forces while contributing technological innovations to NATO.
In the 1970’s the discovery of oil in the North Sea prompted a shift to maritime. By fusing with existing echo sounder and automation systems companies Simrad and Norcontrol, Kongsberg was able to begin making significant contributions to the maritime and petroleum sectors.
In 1987 Kongsberg split into different divisions that had specific responsibilities for producing car parts, aircraft parts, gas turbines, oil installations, maritime equipment, drawing machines and defense material. However, these divisions, though innovative, were no longer profitable so the Norwegian government – which up until this point had owned the company – sold the divisions to the public (apart from the defense division which later became the Norwegian Defense Technology).
In 1997, KONGSBERG brought its operations together through the subsidiaries Kongsberg Maritime AS and Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace AS. By 2008 these became: Kongsberg Maritime, Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace and Kongsberg Digital.
Though Kongsberg has supported U.S. Department of Defense for 130 years, and Naval missions for over 30 years, it opened its Lynnwood location in 1991 specializing in the integration of underwater acoustic systems and unscrewed platforms.
For years Kongsberg Lynnwood has operated with a team of just 30 employees but a big onboarding in 2023 saw that staff number double.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
