Hanwha Ocean Selected as Preferred Negotiator for Unmanned Submersible Energy Source Development

Hanwha Ocean is embarking on the development of unmanned underwater vehicles based on its submarine construction capabilities.

Hanwha Ocean's unmanned submarine, the 'Marine Manned-Unmanned Complex Combat System,' was first introduced at the Madex 2023 exhibition held last June at BEXCO in Busan.

Hanwha Ocean announced on the 4th that it was recently selected as the preferred negotiator for the energy source system project for unmanned underwater vehicles, a prototype project by the Agency for Defense Development. This project involves the development of a hydrogen fuel cell system for multipurpose modular unmanned underwater vehicles. Hanwha Ocean will develop the energy source technology for the multipurpose modular unmanned underwater vehicles and produce prototypes for performance verification. It will also carry out design verification support and testing support services as required.

The Republic of Korea Navy is promoting the development of a "multipurpose modular extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle" to realize the "Smart Navy." Hanwha Ocean is tasked with developing a long-term power source to operate the unmanned underwater vehicles. In particular, this project is expected to be the first step in establishing the Republic of Korea Navy's "marine manned-unmanned combined combat system."

At the "MADEX 2023" event held in June, Hanwha Ocean took the lead in presenting unmanned command and control ships and unmanned underwater vehicles, drawing attention as a marine manned-unmanned combined combat system aimed at realizing the Smart Navy envisioned by the Republic of Korea Navy.

It is evaluated that Hanwha Ocean’s proprietary Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) and fuel cell system design and manufacturing technologies were the foundation for this selection process. This technology enables the longest submerged endurance among conventional diesel-powered submarines, excluding nuclear submarines, and is recognized by foreign countries interested in acquiring submarines.

A Hanwha Ocean official stated, "We plan to secure global super-gap defense solutions through large-scale investments in unmanned and advanced ship technology development. Based on the technology that developed the world’s strongest diesel-powered submarines, we will take the lead in developing unmanned vessels that will become the core of our country’s future defense capabilities."