Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA) and autonomous maritime company Magnet Defense have established a partnership to produce medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSVs) for the US Department of War.
The partnership will include several potential projects, such as producing 38-metre MUSVs.
The base platform will be Magnet Defense’s inaugural MUSV, which has a range of 17,000 nautical miles, the longest range of any MUSV at sea today, according to HDUSA.
The craft is already sea-tested after sailing round-trip from Miami to American Samoa in 2024 and multiple open water missions earlier this year. Its 32,000-nautical-mile voyage included passage through the Panama Canal and through Sea State nine conditions to prove its stability and reliability in hazardous conditions.
Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed recently, HDUSA and Magnet Defense will work to jointly build a 38-metre MUSV, configure vessel capabilities, develop AI-driven robotic shipyards, and collaborate on advanced AI software for improving autonomy.
The MUSV will be configured to accommodate Hanwha’s advanced missile systems.