HD Hyundai Heavy, Expanding Competitiveness in the Global Unmanned Vessel Sector

Agreement on Joint Technology Development between Daeyang Electric Industry and Unmanned Submarine

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Daeyang Electric Works for the joint technology development of export-type unmanned underwater vehicles. From the left in the photo: Kwon Soon-don, Head of SI Business Division at Daeyang Electric Works, and Lee Sang-bong, Executive Officer in charge of the Special Ship Business Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. Photo by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is teaming up with Daeyang Electric to develop export-type Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) technology to enhance competitiveness in the future unmanned vessel market.

On the 16th, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced that it recently signed a 'Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for Joint Technology Development of Export-Type Unmanned Underwater Vehicles' at Daeyang Electric's second factory in Busan, attended by Joo Won-ho, Head of Special Ship Business at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Seo Young-woo, CEO of Daeyang Electric.

Daeyang Electric is a global company in the industrial lighting, electrical, and electronics sectors. It is a designated defense supplier delivering various onboard and external communication equipment and distribution panels to the navy. In the underwater systems field, it has independently developed autonomous navigation unmanned mine disposal robots (MDV) and deep-sea unmanned underwater vehicles.

Unmanned underwater vehicles perform reconnaissance and surveillance underwater, mine detection and removal, marine environmental data collection, and anti-submarine warfare missions. Existing unmanned underwater vehicles can only conduct limited operations such as reconnaissance and search in stable maritime environments, falling short of the mission capabilities of manned submarines.

Under this agreement, both companies aim to develop a differentiated model from existing unmanned underwater vehicles by leveraging accumulated technology and the ability to develop specific mission modules.

Joo Won-ho, Head of Special Ship Business at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said, "Through joint technology development of export-type unmanned underwater vehicles with Daeyang Electric, we will further expand our influence in the unmanned systems sector of the global defense market," adding, "HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will extend the reputation of ‘K-Defense’ to the seas with the world's best shipbuilding technology."

As unmanned vessels are gaining attention as a new blue ocean in the global ship market, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries showcased concepts of unmanned underwater vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and unmanned surface vessels (USV) at 'MADEX 2023' held last year, presenting the direction for the Navy Sea GHOST, a manned-unmanned combined system being pursued by the Republic of Korea Navy.

Additionally, at the ‘AI EXPO for National Competitiveness’ held in Washington D.C., USA, from the 7th to the 8th, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries unveiled for the first time a model of the AI-based reconnaissance unmanned surface vessel ‘TENEBRIS’, jointly developed with Palantir, further expanding its strides to secure competitiveness in the unmanned vessel sector.

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