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Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
HD Hyundai, Anduril bolster ties on uncrewed ships
Korean shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai announced Thursday that it has signed a new partnership with US-based artificial intelligence defense firm Anduril Industries, expanding their existing collaboration to develop an uncrewed surface vessel. The agreement, which builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in April, was formalized at HD Hyundai's global research and development center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on the same day. The signing ceremony was attended by Joo Won-ho, head of the naval and special ship business unit at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Anduril. Under the new partnership, HD Hyundai will equip its uncrewed surface vessels with Anduril's autonomous mission systems for deployment in the Korean market. It will also design and build vessels developed by Anduril for sale in the US market, incorporating HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation technologies. The two firms also plan to co-develop a prototype uncrewed surface vessel, which will be showcased in both Korea and the US. The prototype is expected to debut in Korea by 2027. 'Uncrewed surface vessels are the essence and necessity of future naval warfare,' said Joo. 'Through our collaboration with Anduril, which possesses the world's most advanced autonomous mission systems, we aim to develop the world's leading uncrewed battleship.' As part of its broader strategy to participate in the US' efforts to expand domestic shipbuilding capabilities, HD Hyundai has been strengthening ties with the US shipbuilding sector. The company has partnered with Edison Chouest Offshore to build commercial vessels in the country, and in April it signed an agreement with Huntington Ingalls Industries, the largest US defense shipbuilder.


Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
HD Hyundai partners with US defense firm Anduril for naval USV development
South Korean shipbuilding conglomerate HD Hyundai Co. said Thursday it has signed an agreement with US defense technology company Anduril Industries Inc. to expand cooperation in the naval defense sector, particularly in the development of unmanned surface vessels. The two companies signed a memorandum of agreement on Wednesday at HD Hyundai's global research center in Seongnam, south of Seoul, as a follow-up to an earlier memorandum of understanding signed in April. Under the MOA, HD Hyundai will integrate Anduril's autonomous mission execution systems into its USVs currently under development for the Korean market. HD Hyundai will provide artificial intelligence-based autonomy solutions for Anduril's manned and unmanned naval platforms for the US market, in addition to handling ship design and construction. The companies also agreed to jointly develop prototype USVs tailored for both the Korean and US markets, with the Korean prototype slated for release around 2027. Founded in 2017, Anduril has drawn attention for its software-first approach to defense development. The company is known for its AI-powered mission control systems, as well as its autonomous surveillance and reconnaissance technologies. Anduril currently supplies systems to the US Navy, the Department of Defense and the Australian military. "USVs are at the core of future naval warfare," said Joo Won-ho, head of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' special ship business division. "Through collaboration with Anduril, which possesses world-class autonomous mission technology, we aim to develop the most advanced unmanned naval platforms." (Yonhap)


Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
HD Hyundai secures 1st MRO contract with US Navy
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured its first contract for a maintenance, repair and overhaul, or MRO, project with the United States Navy, the Korean shipbuilder said Wednesday. According to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the USNS Alan Shepard, a 41,000-ton dry cargo and ammunition ship of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, will begin MRO work at a berth near HD Hyundai Mipo shipyard in Ulsan in September. The Alan Shepard is expected to be delivered to the US Navy in November after completing the MRO work, including propeller cleaning, maintenance of various tanks and inspection of onboard equipment. The MRO contract with the US Navy marked the first order since Seoul and Washington struck a 15 percent tariff deal last week. During the negotiations, under the slogan 'Make American Shipbuilding Great Again' or 'MASGA,' the Korean government proposed a $150 billion shipbuilding investment fund to support Korean shipbuilders investing in the US shipbuilding sector. 'This MRO contract is highly significant as it marks the first contract since the government's proposal of the Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation initiative, MASGA,' said Joo Won-ho, head of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' naval and special ship business unit. 'As Korea's leading shipbuilder, we will spare no effort in successfully completing the MRO for the US Navy auxiliary ship.' HD Hyundai has signed partnerships with Huntington Ingalls Industries, the largest defense shipbuilder in the US, and Edison Chouest Offshore, a US shipbuilding group, to work with American players in both the defense and commercial shipbuilding sectors.


Korea Herald
22-04-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
HD Hyundai to design Korea's first AI-powered uncrewed naval vessel
Korea's leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai announced Tuesday that its largest shipyard, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, has secured a conceptual design project from the South Korean Navy for an uncrewed surface combat vessel. Under the project, HD HHI will outline the vessel's conceptual framework, including the required performance and technologies, as well as strategies for acquiring those capabilities. The design phase is scheduled for completion by December. According to the company, the future vessel will be powered by advanced artificial intelligence, enabling it to respond flexibly and effectively to diverse combat scenarios in next-generation naval operations. 'We deeply value the opportunity to lead the base design of an uncrewed surface vessel, a core element of the Navy's future capabilities,' said Joo Won-ho, head of HD HHI's special ship division. Amid South Korea's ongoing demographic decline and resulting personnel shortages, the Navy has set a goal of making uncrewed assets — including submarines and aerial units — a key part of its force structure by the 2040s. Its parent company, HD Hyundai, partnered with US-based artificial intelligence leader Palantir in 2024 for the development of uncrewed vessels, marking the beginning of its involvement in the uncrewed systems sector in earnest. Earlier in April, HD Hyundai also partnered with a US AI defense firm, Anduril Industries, to explore opportunities in the global uncrewed vessel market, as a separate initiative from the Navy project. 'HD HHI will provide a blueprint for uncrewed warships that will drive the Navy's advancement by combining human personnel and uncrewed systems,' Joo added. 'This will be achieved through our AI-powered automation, electrification and human-optional operation technologies.'


South China Morning Post
13-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
US looks to South Korea as it tries to revive shipbuilding and catch up to China
The United States is looking to South Korea as it tries to boost shipbuilding capacity in response to the 'desperate reality' of China's rapid navy build-up , a move that could strengthen US power projection in the region, analysts say. Advertisement South Korean shipbuilding giant HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) on Monday said it had signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate with US firm Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). HHI said the 'ship alliance' was signed during this week's Sea Air Space 2025 defence exhibition in Washington. It said the aim was to 'maximise the production efficiency of shipbuilding, while sharing know-how and capabilities to improve shipbuilding costs and delivery times'. 'We expect that cooperation between the representative shipbuilding companies of Korea and the US, who are blood allies, will not only develop the shipbuilding industry of both countries but also greatly contribute to strengthening security cooperation,' said Joo Won-ho, chief executive of naval and special shipbuilding at HHI. The cooperation will include promoting process automation and the introduction of robots and artificial intelligence to build a digital shipyard, according to the HHI statement. HII and HHI, two of the world's leading shipbuilders, signed a memorandum of understanding this week during the Sea Air Space expo in Washington. Photo: Handout HHI is one of the world's largest shipbuilders, with a market share of about 10 per cent, according to its website. It has the capacity to build naval surface and underwater combatants and auxiliary vessels.