Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA), Hanwha Systems (HSC), and US-based collaborative autonomy company HavocAI will jointly develop a new series of 200-foot (60-metre) autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) for defence applications.
HDUSA and HSC parent company the Hanwha Group said it is currently the only shipbuilder with an operational shipyard in the United States to enter into a joint agreement with an autonomous vessel company, and that Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania is under consideration to produce the 200-foot ASV.
“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,” said HDUSA CEO Michael Coulter.
“This agreement will not only deliver for the American warfighter but will create much-needed competition for the Department of War acquisition process.”
Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding, HDUSA, HSC and HavocAI will jointly develop the ASVs to include mass production planning, installation, proposal development, and technical domains.
HDUSA said production of the vessels will be pursuant to the US Government’s "modular attack surface craft" solicitation program.