"No Place Moves Faster Than Korea...Investment Is Only Natural" US Anduril Joins Korean Defense Supply Chain [Heavy Industry ON]

Expanding Partnerships with Korean Air, HD Hyundai, and Hyundai Rotem

"AI Software + Korean Defense Manufacturing" Alliance Accelerates

Linking the Battlefield from Drones and Unmanned Vessels to Command and Control

Anduril Industries, a U.S. AI defense company, is rapidly expanding its cooperation with South Korean defense firms. The company is developing autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles with Korean Air, unmanned surface vessels with HD Hyundai, and AI-based command and control systems with Hyundai Rotem. There is growing recognition that a 'next-generation unmanned battlefield alliance' is taking shape, combining U.S. AI software with Korea's manufacturing capabilities.

A U.S. Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopter is air-launching Anduril's rocket-propelled autonomous unmanned system, ALTIUS 700, at the Yuma Test Center in the United States. Anduril Industries

Brian Schimpf, co-founder and CEO of Anduril, stated at a press briefing held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno, Seoul, on May 7, "We have collaborated with many defense companies worldwide, but nowhere is faster or more future-oriented than Korea. Given Korea's manufacturing capabilities and defense technology, investing here is a natural choice."

Over the past year, Anduril has quickly broadened its collaboration with major domestic defense firms. Last month, Anduril and Korean Air successfully conducted a test flight of an AI-based autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle at a local test site. Anduril's AI platform, Lattice, was applied to three Korean Air UAVs, enabling them to perform missions autonomously without remote control. CEO Schimpf commented, "Conducting a prototype flight test within a year is a rare achievement in the defense industry."

With HD Hyundai, Anduril is working on an autonomous unmanned surface vessel project. Currently, a prototype vessel is under construction at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan and is scheduled to launch in October, followed by sea trials off the U.S. coast. Recently, the scope of cooperation has expanded from unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to the joint development of unmanned underwater vehicles as well.

On this day, Anduril signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hyundai Rotem to establish an integrated AI-based manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) command and control system. The plan is to apply Lattice to Hyundai Rotem's unmanned platforms and ground weapon systems to enhance real-time situational awareness and autonomous mission execution capabilities.

Anduril's core strength lies in its AI software. Lattice is a platform that integrates and analyzes data from thousands of sensors in real time, linking drones, vessels, and ground weapon systems into a single network. Rather than remaining at the level of individual weapon performance competition, this approach enables AI-based software to operate the entire battlefield in an integrated manner.

CEO Schimpf explained, "The key to today's battlefield is how quickly and accurately you can make decisions amid overwhelming information. Our goal is to automate the functions that previously consumed manpower for information processing, allowing commanders to focus on making critical decisions."

Industry observers see Anduril's recent moves as a clear sign that the 'fusion of American AI software and Korean defense hardware' is gaining momentum. In critical areas of future warfare—such as drones, unmanned vessels, and command and control systems—Korean companies' rapid development and production capabilities are now beginning to align with U.S. AI technology.

Notably, Anduril also revealed plans to grow Korea into a supply chain hub, rather than simply a sales market. CEO Schimpf stated, "We plan to establish a supply chain in Korea and ultimately incorporate it into our global supply network."

Founded in 2017, Anduril is an AI defense startup established by Palmer Luckey, the founder of VR company Oculus. The company develops AI-based surveillance systems, drones, and unmanned surface vessels in-house, supplying them to the defense ministries of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Anduril's current corporate valuation is estimated at approximately 30.5 billion dollars (about 44 trillion won).

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