HD Hyundai and Anduril report uncrewed vessel trial off California

HD Hyundai said on October 19 that it and US defense technology company Anduril Industries had demonstrated an uncrewed vessel off Long Beach, California, testing technology the South Korean shipbuilder hopes to bring to US naval programs. The companies described the trial as successful; Yonhap reported that it took place recently, without giving the date at sea.

The three-and-a-half-hour demonstration used a modified 368-ton vessel previously operated by the US Navy. It carried HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering’s VAOne autonomy platform and Anduril’s Lattice software for mission management and coordination, according to The Korea Herald and Yonhap.

What the Long Beach vessel demonstrated

The Korea Herald reported that VAOne combines navigation technology based on HiNAS Prime, developed by HD Hyundai subsidiary Avikus, with systems that monitor machinery, detect abnormalities and respond to equipment faults. It also incorporates damage-detection and response functions. Lattice provides autonomous mission management, the reports said.

About 40 officials attended, according to The Korea Herald, including representatives of the US Navy, US Coast Guard, American Bureau of Shipping, South Korean Navy and South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration. Their attendance placed prospective naval users and maritime specialists at the demonstration; neither report described a procurement decision.

HD Hyundai’s next uncrewed vessel trial

Chang Kwang-pil, a senior executive vice president at HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, said the demonstration showed the vessel could carry out complex missions and respond to scenarios it might face after deployment. He said the company would continue refining the technology. That assessment came from HD Hyundai, which said it intends to pursue US Navy uncrewed-vessel programs and the wider market.

Yonhap reported that HD Hyundai and Anduril are separately building another unmanned vessel at HD Hyundai’s shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea. It is scheduled for sea trials off the US coast in November. That planned trial is a separate step from the Long Beach demonstration announced on October 19.