"HD Hyundai Was the Only Choice": U.S. Praise as 600-Ton "Monster Warship" Built in Ulsan in Just One Year [On the Scene]

600-ton-Class Unmanned Surface Vessel ASV Alpha Unveiled
HD Hyundai and U.S. Defense Company Anduril Combine Autonomous Technologies
Automation Covers Navigation, Engine-Room Operations, and Damage Control
Mission Performance to Be Tested in the

"We didn't design the ship and then buy the materials. We secured the materials first and designed the ship around them."

At HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard in Dong-gu, Ulsan, on November 12, Jang Junho, a senior ship designer at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, explained how the company shortened the construction period. He was speaking at the unveiling of the 600-ton-class unmanned surface vessel (ASV) "Alpha," jointly developed with U.S. defense company Anduril. The time needed for the conventional process of designing a ship, purchasing materials and conducting reviews is at least three years. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries cut that period to one year by taking the bold step of reversing the traditional shipbuilding sequence.

The 600-ton-class autonomous surface vessel (ASV) “Alpha,” jointly developed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and U.S. defense company Anduril, is docked at the shipyard in Ulsan on the 12th. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

As soon as the ship's basic shape was determined, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries ordered the steel and prioritized securing the electric propulsion system and other equipment that could be procured within a year. Rather than purchasing materials after completing the design, as is customary, the company designed the ship around the materials it could secure.

The construction schedule was also tightly planned. Three months were allocated for design, three months for building the hull blocks and three months for installing equipment. The remaining three months were used for sea trials and various inspections. "We had to complete construction within a year, so we couldn't follow the existing procedures as they were," Jang said. "Our priority was to find a supply chain that could provide the materials and equipment we needed within the set timeframe."

Alpha, the ASV unveiled that day, was positioned right beside an Aegis destroyer. It looked relatively small next to the massive 8,200-ton Aegis ship, but it was by no means small for an unmanned vessel that operates without a crew. "It may look small next to the Aegis ship, but it's remarkable that a vessel of this size can travel the seas without people on board," said Choi Taebok, an executive in HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Naval and Medium-sized Ship Business Division.

Because unmanned surface vessels do not carry people, they can reduce living quarters and use the space to carry additional fuel or mission equipment. They can also more readily carry out operations that would be risky for conventional crewed vessels, such as entering deep into enemy territory, while reducing the risk of casualties.

The container-like structure installed on the upper deck was designed to allow equipment to be swapped out depending on the mission. For an anti-ship operation, the vessel can be fitted with weapons for attacking ships; if it needs to strike ground targets, it can be equipped with weapons for land attacks.

Officials from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and U.S. defense company Anduril pose for a commemorative photo at the launch ceremony for Alpha, a 600-ton-class unmanned surface vessel (ASV), held at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan on the 12th. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

What sets Alpha apart is that it automates not only navigation but the vessel's overall operation. Existing small unmanned surface craft have focused on autonomous navigation, such as following a designated route or avoiding obstacles. But operating a 600-ton-class vessel without a crew requires fully automating the management and operation of the various mechanical systems that crew members would normally handle.

To do this, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries equipped the vessel with its in-house-developed integrated vessel automation solution, "VAone." VAone automates navigation, engine-room operations and damage control. It is complemented by Anduril's mission autonomy platform, "Lattice." HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is responsible for the technology that moves and manages the vessel itself, while Anduril provides the technology for assigning missions remotely and enabling the vessel to carry them out.

However, applying autonomous technology does not mean the vessel independently decides whether to attack. It can automatically detect an enemy and relay relevant information, but a person makes the final decision on whether to launch a missile. Once a person authorizes an attack, the launch proceeds automatically.

Matt Grimm, Anduril's chief operating officer (COO), who attended the launch ceremony, also praised HD Hyundai's shipbuilding capabilities. "To build next-generation vessels quickly, we urgently needed a partner with a long history in shipbuilding, proven production capabilities and unparalleled hull fabrication technology that the world envies," he said. "For us, HD Hyundai was the clear and only choice."

A view of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan Shipyard. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' decades of accumulated expertise and production infrastructure made it possible to dramatically shorten the shipbuilding period. "A design process different from the traditional one would not be possible without experience building a wide range of vessels," said Kim Hyeongtaek, an executive at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. "It was possible because we had the confidence and experience."

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan Shipyard occupies a site of about 1.65 million pyeong and has 14 docks and 10 Goliath cranes. That day, enormous hull blocks stood throughout the shipyard, while large cranes moved constantly, transporting the blocks.

"The shipyard looks very different compared with a few years ago. The docks are now at their fullest," Choi said. "U.S. Navy officials are often surprised when they visit and see the scene here." The ability to build large vessels on this scale simultaneously is one reason U.S. defense company Anduril chose HD Hyundai as its partner.

After sea trials and final work off the coast of Ulsan, the ASV Alpha, jointly developed by the two companies, will head to the United States in early 2027. There, its mission performance will be tested, with a focus on Anduril's mission autonomy system.

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