Development of Core Combat Unmanned Submersible for Future Underwater Warfare Begins
Hanwha Systems and Aerospace Collaborate
On the 27th, officials from the Republic of Korea Navy, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, and three other companies took a commemorative photo after concluding the concept design kickoff meeting for the combat unmanned underwater vehicle at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) is embarking on the development of a combat unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) to build the Republic of Korea Navy's maritime manned-unmanned complex system, 'Navy Sea GHOST.'
DSME announced that it held a kickoff meeting on the 27th for the 'Combat Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Concept Design Technical Support Research Project,' contracted with the Republic of Korea Navy on the 12th.
This concept design project is the first design project for a maritime manned-unmanned complex system. In particular, DSME plans to promote the development of a combat UUV model suitable for the Republic of Korea Navy through technological cooperation with top companies in each field, including Hanwha Systems, Hanwha Aerospace, and Bumhan Purecell.
The Republic of Korea Navy is pursuing the establishment of a maritime manned-unmanned complex system to maximize operational and mission capabilities in order to secure maritime combat power superiority in connection with 'Defense Innovation 4.0.' To this end, it plans to enhance unmanned systems such as unmanned surface vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, shipborne unmanned aerial vehicles, and unmanned system command and control ships.
DSME began developing the country's first unmanned underwater vehicle, 'OKPO-6000,' in 1996 and successfully built and delivered Jangbogo-I and Jangbogo-II class submarines. On August 21 last year, it successfully delivered the Dosan Ahn Changho, a Jangbogo-III class submarine known as the 21st-century Turtle Ship, to the Navy, contributing to South Korea becoming the eighth country in the world to possess a 3,000-ton class submarine.
Jung Woosung, Executive Vice President and Head of DSME's Special Ship Division, said, "Future battlefields are changing in multiple ways, and weapon systems are rapidly advancing. Even in these diverse and complex future battlefield environments, we will do our best to provide technical support for the successful development of unmanned systems by fully mobilizing DSME's advanced next-generation ship technology so that the Republic of Korea Navy can gain superiority in maritime military power competition."
Meanwhile, 'Navy Sea GHOST' is a new name symbolizing the Navy's manned-unmanned complex system. Using the word 'ghost,' meaning a spirit, it symbolizes unmanned maritime power. It is an acronym for Guardian Harmonized with Operating manned System and Technology based unmanned systems, meaning 'a guardian of the sea harmonized with manned systems and technology-based unmanned systems.'
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