Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA), Hanwha Systems Co, and HavocAI have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly develop 200-foot (ft) autonomous surface vessels (ASVs).
Presently, Hanwha is the only shipbuilder operating a US shipyard that has entered into a joint agreement with an autonomous-vessel company.
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HDUSA stated that the production of the ASVs may take place at Hanwha Philly Shipyard.
The development forms part of the US Government’s Modular Attack Surface Craft solicitation programme.
The MoU outlines that the three companies will cooperate on mass production planning, installation, proposal development, and technical expertise related to the ASVs.
HDUSA CEO Michael Coulter said: “By forging a partnership between an allied defence company with advanced manufacturing scale in Hanwha with a software-first defence technology company in HavocAI, we will deliver state-of-the art ASVs at scale for American service members.
“This agreement will not only deliver for the American warfighter but will create much-needed competition for the Department of War acquisition process.”
HavocAI recently completed an $85m funding round and has confirmed sales of multiple vessels to the US Department of Defense (DoD).
The company also showcased its collaborative autonomy technology to Ukrainian officials in GPS-denied environments.
In October last year, Hanwha and HavocAI announced a strategic relationship following a joint demonstration at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard in South Korea.
During this event, HavocAI conducted an autonomous force protection mission off Hawaii’s coast with command and control from Geoje.
The following month, HavocAI formed a partnership with Science Applications International Corp to integrate autonomous technologies with multi-domain communication systems for US Navy maritime operations.
HavocAI co-founder and CEO Paul Lwin said: “The Department of War has sent a clear demand signal to the shipbuilding industry: we need more boats, faster, with more capabilities, for less money. Partnerships like this – pairing a leading-edge technology with an established global infrastructure – are exactly how we achieve that goal.”
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