HD Hyundai has made history as the first South Korean company to successfully demonstrate unmanned surface vessel (USV) technology in the United States. The company announced this achievement on Monday following a recent demonstration off the coast of Long Beach, California.
During the event, HD Hyundai collaborated with U.S. defense artificial intelligence company Anduril Industries to showcase autonomous navigation capabilities. Approximately 40 officials from both South Korea and the U.S. attended, including representatives from the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, American Bureau of Shipping, Republic of Korea Navy, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
The demonstration featured the vessel’s performance across various maritime scenarios, including autonomous navigation, mission changes, formation sailing, and responses to engine failures. The three-and-a-half-hour showcase was conducted with real-time monitoring from a shore-based control center.
The vessel used for the demonstration was a 368-ton ship previously operated by the U.S. Navy, which has been converted for unmanned operations. It was equipped with VAone, an integrated autonomy solution developed by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, alongside Lattice, Anduril’s mission autonomy platform.
VAone incorporates advancements from HiNAS Prime, an autonomous navigation solution created by Avikus, HD Hyundai’s subsidiary focused on autonomous technologies. This system includes features for engine monitoring, abnormality detection, and automatic responses, as well as technology to identify vessel damage and implement corrective actions autonomously.
The joint demonstration effectively showcased a fully unmanned vessel that could autonomously navigate, manage engine conditions, respond to damage, and conduct weapons operations. Attendees noted the importance of the vessel’s ability to make independent decisions during complex missions and adapt to changing maritime conditions.
Following this successful demonstration, the companies plan to seek opportunities within U.S. naval programs and the expanding global USV market, which has seen increasing demand. “This demonstration was significant in that it confirmed the vessel’s ability to carry out complex missions and respond to various real-world situations that may arise after departure,” said Jang Kwang-pil, executive vice president and head of the Future Technology Research Institute at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering.
