Mission Solution Development Scheduled Until December
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is set to accelerate the development of the Republic of Korea Navy's "combat unmanned surface vehicle (USV)." A combat USV is a vessel operated by robotic systems rather than humans and is considered a game-changer for future battlefields.
On April 22, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced that it had been awarded the "combat unmanned surface vehicle conceptual design project" by the Navy Headquarters. The combat USV is designed to replace manned vessels, carrying out missions such as reconnaissance and close-range engagement in frontline waters. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will hold a kick-off meeting this month and conduct the conceptual design project for approximately eight months, until December. The company will determine the required performance and technologies for the combat USV and how these can be acquired.
In this project, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries stated its ambition to develop mission solutions tailored to the diverse and evolving future battlefield environment and to design a combat USV that offers greater reliability and cost-effectiveness than manned vessels. The company also plans to take the lead in developing integrated manned-unmanned systems, starting with the combat USV.
Previously, in April, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the US AI defense company Anduril Industries for the development and market entry of unmanned surface vehicles.
Joo Wonho, head of the Special Ship Business at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said, "It is very meaningful for us to win the conceptual design project for the combat unmanned surface vehicle, which will become a core project for the Navy," and added, "We will present a blueprint for the era of combat USVs that incorporate AI-based unmanned, automated, and electrification technologies."
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