HD Hyundai announced on Thursday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Anduril, an American artificial intelligence (AI) defense company, and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to enter the unmanned underwater vehicle market.
This marks HD Hyundai’s first foray into unmanned submarine development. The move expands the company’s unmanned vessel business, following its initial venture into unmanned surface vessels through a collaboration with Anduril last year.
The MOU for unmanned submarines was inked on April 19th (local time) during the four-day Sea Air Space 2026 Exhibition (SAS 2026) in Washington, D.C.
On Wednesday, HD Hyundai signed an agreement with Anduril for the joint development of advanced unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) systems. This partnership builds on their ongoing collaboration in unmanned surface vessels, aiming to strengthen their position in the global market, including the United States.
The same day, the company entered into a tripartite MOU with ABS and Anduril to develop autonomous marine systems and related regulatory and certification frameworks. The three entities will establish crucial verification and certification processes for unmanned vessel development and commercialization, as well as formulate regulations for unmanned technologies. This initiative aims to enhance the competitiveness and credibility of unmanned vessel technology.
Through this collaboration, HD Hyundai plans to merge its world-leading shipbuilding expertise with AI-based unmanned system technology to spearhead the global unmanned vessel market. Market Research Future projects the global unmanned submarine market to grow from 5.5 billion USD in 2025 to 25.8 billion USD by 2035, with an average annual growth rate of 16.6%.
Joo Won-ho, president of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ naval and mid-sized vessel business, stated that the unmanned vessel sector is a pivotal focus in the future global naval market, and it’s an area where it must take the lead. The partnerships with Anduril, ABS, and others will showcase the exceptional technological prowess in the global unmanned vessel market.
