SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - South Korean defense company LIG Nex1 has begun developing core technologies for a combat unmanned surface vessel (USV), in a move aimed at advancing the Navy’s manned-unmanned combined maritime combat capability.
LIG Nex1 said on Tuesday it signed an agreement on Dec. 19 with the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) to develop an integrated control system and an autonomous mission system for a combat USV under a packaged weapon-system technology program.
The program was planned by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in cooperation with KIAT to secure key technologies ahead of the Batch-II system development phase of the combat USV, the company said.
LIG Nex1 will act as the lead research and development contractor, overseeing the overall project. About 49 billion won in government funding will be invested over 60 months through December 2030 to develop an integrated control system, a weapon operation and launch-control system, and an autonomous mission system for the combat USV.
The technologies are described as essential to the Navy’s Sea GHOST manned-unmanned maritime combat concept. The plan calls, for the first time in South Korea, for mounting a 20-millimeter-class remote-controlled weapon station (RCWS) on a USV and applying launch and operation technologies for the Bigung guided rocket and loitering munitions. The aim is to significantly enhance long-range precision-strike capabilities for unmanned maritime platforms.
LIG Nex1 said the integrated control system will link sensors, weapons and onboard systems to improve operational efficiency and survivability. The company plans to combine its control technologies with artificial-intelligence-based systems to enable real-time data processing and decision-making and command functions.
An LIG Nex1 official said the project represents an important opportunity to help the South Korean Navy secure future combat capabilities and to strengthen the company’s competitiveness in the global USV market.
LIG Nex1 aims to develop derivative models tailored to country-specific requirements to boost the international appeal of South Korean unmanned naval systems.
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