Seeing the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Ready for Field Deployment in Action

The unmanned surface vehicle Haegum-Ⅱ is equipped with a sonar (underwater acoustic detector) capable of detecting all objects measuring 2 meters within a depth of 50 meters and a radius of 50 meters.

Haegum-II can operate up to 20km as long as there is a relay station.

Haegum-Ⅲ is equipped with a 12.7mm Remote Controlled Weapon System (RCWS) machine gun.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] When North Korean fishermen entered Samcheok Port in June 2019 aboard a small wooden boat, our military failed to detect them. In April of the following year, Chinese nationals illegally entered through the Taean coast in Chungnam, but the military's surveillance network was helpless. Although there was criticism that military discipline had become lax at the time, some pointed out structural problems. The core of the military's maritime surveillance operations is to monitor the movements of military forces from North Korea, China, and Japan, so there are limitations in detecting all small wooden boats or movements of ordinary people.

As an alternative, the Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) was proposed. This is because it can solve the chronic manpower shortage. To see LIG Nex1's unmanned surface vehicle, Haegum (Sea Sword), I visited the dock located in Goseong-gun, Gyeongnam, on the 13th.

After a five-hour drive by car, the weather at the Goseong-gun dock was warm, unlike Seoul, where a cold wave advisory had been issued. There was not a breath of wind, which was unusual for a seaside location. However, the Coast Guard boats and military unmanned surface vehicles gave a sense of tension different from other docks. LIG Nex1 developed three versions of the unmanned surface vehicle: Haegum-I (coastal surveillance), Haegum-II (coastal and underwater surveillance), and Haegum-III (coastal combat missions).

At one corner of the pier, Haegum-II revealed its bulky body. The length of the surface vessel was 12 meters, which looked extremely small compared to general naval vessels. When I boarded the vessel, unlike general ships, the deck was narrow and flat, measuring 3 meters by 3 meters. A company official explained, "This space is where the core equipment of Haegum-II is installed." When the tarp next to the vessel was removed, the sonar (underwater acoustic detector) installed on Haegum-II was visible. This sonar plays a role in identifying objects underwater.

Entering the Haegum-II cockpit, it was an empty space without a single chair. This is different from manned surface vessels. According to the company, the Haegum unmanned surface vehicle can be operated from 15 km away on land and up to 20 km if a relay station is available. Although the cockpit space was only 3 meters by 5 meters, it was equipped with instruments and steering controls similar to general vessels. This means it can also be operated manned in emergencies.

At the end of the pier, a surface vessel similar in appearance to Haegum-II was seen on the water. The presence of a machine gun at the front of the vessel indicated it was Haegum-III, assigned to security missions. This machine gun is a 12.7 mm Remote Controlled Weapon System (RCWS), which can be fired remotely without direct human operation. Haegum-III can also be operated both manned and unmanned and is designed to autonomously navigate along waypoints. Inside, unlike Haegum-II, there was space for personnel performing special missions.

In particular, Haegum-III is designed to operate in waves up to 2.5 meters and can survive waves up to 4 meters. In fact, during the Army's coastal surveillance drone-bot combat experiment conducted in Yeosu, Jeonnam, in 2020, it successfully completed its mission despite a storm warning. In April of this year, the Army Taean Battalion introduced Haegum-III for pilot operation.

The Army plans to replace about 20 patrol boats introduced in the 1990s. Once Haegum-III is fully operational, it will perform surveillance and reconnaissance missions around operational bases, coastal and island areas, and radar blind spots. It is also expected to support civilian assistance missions such as initial assessment of maritime accidents or disaster sites. A LIG Nex1 official said, "With the reduction in troop numbers due to defense reform, unmanned surface vehicles will play a significant role in coastal surveillance missions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.