HD Hyundai and Anduril successfully demonstrated integrated USV operations off California, combining the VAone ship platform with Lattice mission software.
HD Hyundai Press Release translated by Naval News
HD Hyundai announced on October 19 that it had recently conducted a successful joint demonstration of autonomous USV operations with US defense AI company Anduril off the Port of Long Beach, California.
The event was attended by approximately 40 representatives from South Korea and the United States, including Jang Kwang-pil, Executive Vice President and Head of the Future Technology Research Institute at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), as well as representatives from Anduril, the US Navy, the US Coast Guard, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), the Republic of Korea Navy and South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
During the demonstration, the two companies showcased their USV capabilities through a range of maritime scenarios, including autonomous navigation, mission changes, formation sailing and emergency responses to machinery failures.
The demonstration lasted approximately three and a half hours, with the entire event relayed to a shore-based control station, allowing attendees to monitor the vessel’s mission execution in real time.
The vessel used for the demonstration was a modified 368-ton large unmanned surface test vessel previously operated by the US Navy. It was equipped with VAone, a comprehensive vessel autonomy solution developed in-house by HD KSOE, and Anduril’s Lattice mission autonomy platform.
VAone, short for “Vessel Autonomy-No.1 & Only1,” is built on HiNAS Prime, the autonomous navigation solution developed by Avikus, HD Hyundai’s autonomous navigation subsidiary. The suite also incorporates an autonomous machinery management system that monitors equipment condition in real time, detects abnormalities and responds automatically, alongside an autonomous damage control solution that detects damage to the vessel and takes corrective action.
According to HD Hyundai, combining VAone with Anduril’s Lattice—which the company described as already proven in operational environments—successfully demonstrated a fully unmanned surface vessel capability. This encompassed navigation, machinery management, damage control, and weapons autonomy. The vessel made successive autonomous decisions throughout the exercise, successfully responding to a range of scenarios representative of real-world operations at sea.
Building on the capabilities demonstrated at the event, the two companies plan to pursue US unmanned surface vessel programs and expand into the global USV market, where demand has been growing rapidly.
“This demonstration is significant because it confirmed the ability of an unmanned surface vessel to carry out complex missions and respond to a variety of operational situations that may arise after leaving port. We will continue to develop and refine our technologies to secure a leading position in the unmanned surface vessel market.”
Jang Kwang-pil, Executive Vice President and Head of the Future Technology Research Institute at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering
