HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is teaming up with American defense start-up Anduril Industries to develop unmanned surface vessel (USV).
HD HHI Press Release translated by Naval News
HD Hyundai announced on Friday, April 4, that it has signed an MOU with Anduril at Hyundai’s headquarters in Gye-dong, Seoul, to collaborate on USV development and market entry. The signing ceremony was attended by Won-ho Joo, Head of the Naval & Special Ship Business Unit (NSSBU) at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Brian Schimpf, Co-Founder and CEO of Anduril.
Anduril is a U.S.-based AI tech company specializing in defense. It supplies various cutting-edge products to the U.S. Navy, Department of Defense, and Australian Department of Defence, including AI-based mission control systems, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, unmanned underwater vehicles, and drones.
Through this partnership, the two companies aim to combine HD Hyundai’s autonomous navigation technology with Anduril’s mission autonomy solutions to develop advanced USVs and jointly explore global markets.
To this end, HD Hyundai will incorporate its core AI ship autonomy technologies, such as navigation automation, engine automation, and integrated safety control into naval platforms, advancing its vessel autonomy solutions tailored for warships. Meanwhile, Anduril will focus on developing mission autonomy systems that enable coordinated control and automated mission execution for USVs in battlespace environments.
The integration of vessel autonomy and mission autonomy technologies will serve as a “control tower” for USVs, ensuring both efficient mission execution and safe navigation.
“We are honored to work with Anduril, a leader in AI defense innovation, on the development of next-generation unmanned vessels, which are key to the future naval market. We will accelerate the realization of unmanned and reduced-crew ships using advanced AI technologies, contributing to the Navy’s Manned-unmanned teaming and the expansion of Korea’s naval ship exports”.
Won-ho Joo, Head of the Naval & Special Ship Business Unit at HD HHI
“We’re excited to develop unmanned naval technologies in collaboration with the world’s top shipbuilding and marine company. Our partnership with HD Hyundai is expected to significantly boost our global expansion in the USV market, not just in the U.S., but worldwide”.
Brian Schimpf, Co-Founder and CEO of Anduril
Alongside USV development, HD Hyundai is also enhancing its AI-based vessel autonomy technology to gradually convert crewed naval vessels into unmanned ones, both for domestic and export markets. This effort is seen as a potential solution to challenges such as shrinking military manpower and shortages of naval personnel.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries continues to strengthen Korea’s competitiveness in maritime defense by leveraging advanced technologies, forming global partnerships, establishing local shipbuilding capabilities, and standardizing technology transfer packages.
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Naval News comments
Anduril is expanding its partnerships in South Korea through joint development of unmanned systems. The company recently signed an MOU with the Republic of Korea’s national defense procurement agency, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), to co-develop advanced unmanned combat systems. The agreement aims to combine South Korea’s research, development, and manufacturing capabilities with Anduril’s cutting-edge AI and autonomous defense technologies. This marks DAPA’s second international co-development partnership, following its 2023 MOU with Boeing.
