Company plans 70 billion won self-funded investment to develop 30-ton and 140-ton autonomous naval platforms

Hanwha Systems said on July 9 that it has launched a 30-ton unmanned surface vessel (USV) and begun sea trials as part of its autonomous naval systems development program.

The company said it launched the internally developed 30-ton USV in early June near Gadeok Bridge in Busan.

Hanwha Systems plans to invest approximately 70 billion won of its own capital to sequentially develop both the 30-ton platform and a 140-ton combat-capable USV. The 30-ton vessel will serve as a testbed through the end of 2027 for validating artificial intelligence (AI)-based autonomous navigation technologies and an open architecture.

A key objective of the program is compliance with the Unmanned Maritime Autonomy Architecture (UMAA), the US Navy's standard framework for autonomous maritime systems. The architecture is regarded as a critical global standard for enabling coordinated operations among unmanned platforms and interoperability with other weapons systems.

Building on autonomous navigation technologies previously validated through its Haeryeong reconnaissance USV, Hanwha Systems will begin demonstrating UMAA compatibility. The sea trials will focus on validating autonomous navigation in narrow waterways, operations in high sea states and long-range autonomous missions under realistic operational conditions.

"With unmanned surface vessels incorporating global standards and advanced AI-based autonomous navigation technologies, we aim to expand the global presence of South Korea's naval defense industry," said Moon-ki Yoo, head of the Naval Business Division at Hanwha Systems.

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