A 600-ton uncrewed vessel developed by South Korea’s HD Hyundai and U.S. defense firm Anduril Industries is scheduled for U.S. testing in early 2027, extending their work on autonomous naval systems, The Korea Herald reported. Before then, the vessel is due for offshore trials and final outfitting near Ulsan, the newspaper said.
HD Hyundai and Anduril unveiled the ship at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ yard in Ulsan on Thursday. The companies reached their development agreement roughly a year before the unveiling. About 70 people attended, including U.S. military representatives and staff from the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, The Korea Herald reported. The newspaper contrasted the vessel’s roughly one-year build with the several years often needed for naval ships.
The project is part of HD Hyundai’s effort to expand in the U.S. market, the report said. It follows an October demonstration off Long Beach, California, of a smaller 368-ton vessel. HD Hyundai said it hoped the technology shown there would help it compete for U.S. Navy programs, as EconoTimes reported in its coverage of the Long Beach test.
The new ship pairs VAone, an autonomy platform from HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, with Lattice, Anduril’s artificial intelligence platform for coordinating autonomous missions. VAone uses navigation technology from HD Hyundai subsidiary Avikus and tools to track equipment conditions and respond to faults or damage. Together, the systems can manage navigation, oversee machinery, respond to damage and handle weapons-related functions, The Korea Herald reported.
HD Hyundai said the vessel is designed to remain at sea for extended periods without a crew and support maritime observation and intelligence missions. It is also designed to meet U.S. Navy requirements, the company said.
Shane Arnott, Anduril’s senior vice president for maritime and maneuver, said Anduril intends to take the craft to U.S. waters for an early-2027 demonstration and expand the fleet alongside HD Hyundai.
