South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) has been awarded a contract from the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) to jointly develop an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) capable of conducting independent reconnaissance and combat operations.
HD HHI said in a 22 April statement that it will commence work on the “combat USV concept design project” by the end of the same month and expects this process to be completed by December. The company added that it will work with the RoKN to define mission requirements, identify relevant technologies, and plan acquisition strategies.
It is understood that the proposed Combat USV will as a surrogate for crewed vessels and perform reconnaissance as well as close-range combat operations. It is also being seen as a potential enabler for future manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T).
HD HHI had earlier signalled its intent to develop next-generation USVs by partnering with US defence technology company Anduril. Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the two companies earlier in April, HD HHI will integrate its ship autonomy technologies and high-performance hulls with Anduril’s mission autonomy capabilities to develop advanced USVs and jointly explore global markets.
HD HHI also announced a MOU with Palantir in April 2024 to develop a reconnaissance USV by 2026, with plans to expand into other mission sets including combat at a later juncture.
by Jr Ng
