Source-linked news, original analysis and approved development briefs across unmanned systems. Original event dates, publication dates and evidence limits remain distinct.
Following failure of the initial procurement, the ROK Navy Operations Command re-tendered the commercial-USV and target-utilization combat-experiment service on April 28, 2026. The budget remained KRW 90 million and the re-tender required delivery of the USV/control/target package under the detailed specification.
Factory IMS was identified as the selected contractor for the ROK Navy's USV operational-effects combat-experiment service on May 18, 2026. The underlying tender budget was KRW 250 million, but a final winning value was not publicly visible in the validated source set. The event is therefore classified as contractor selection rather than contract signing.
LIG Defense & Aerospace demonstrated intelligent command and control of heterogeneous unmanned surface vessels on May 27, 2026. Four live USVs were integrated with virtual assets, including Sea Sword-3, Sea Sword-5 and Sea Sword-S, and the event demonstrated cooperative autonomous maritime operations.
ROK Navy Headquarters issued the initial tender for a combat experiment against maritime threats from drones and USVs on June 1, 2026. The correct procurement identifier is R26BK01555160, with a KRW 574.39 million budget and an estimated price of approximately KRW 522.173 million.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Skaramangas Shipyards announced strategic defense cooperation on June 2, 2026 for prospective Greek naval and coast-guard programs. The official MOU is broad, while supporting reporting explicitly includes unmanned surface vessels and manned-unmanned combined naval systems among the areas of cooperation.
Hanwha Systems launched its 30-ton-class combat USV in early June 2026, completing the first physical prototype milestone before sea trials. The platform is part of Hanwha's broader autonomous maritime development portfolio.
Following its early-June launch, Hanwha Systems' 30-ton combat USV entered sea trials between Busan and the Geoje/Jangmok area. Public reporting confirms that trials were underway by the July 9 disclosure, but the exact trial commencement date was not released.
Jeonbuk Province and Jeonju City were selected for a five-year Defense Innovation Cluster program on June 12, 2026. The broader KRW 49 billion cluster supports multiple defense technology domains, including drones, ground robots and unmanned surface vessels, along with test and commercialization infrastructure.
ADD issued a pre-specification notice on June 16, 2026 for implementation of a USV navigation and navigation-sensor data analysis model. The pre-specification identifier was R26BD00241421 / RE260143DD and the stated project amount was KRW 400.1 million. This is a pre-tender specification stage; the formal procurement followed in July.
After the initial procurement failed, ROK Navy Headquarters issued re-tender R26BK01588145 on June 17, 2026 for the drone/USV maritime-threat combat experiment. The procurement retained the KRW 574.39 million budget. This is a distinct re-tender lifecycle event and should not be conflated with the initial R26BK01555160 procedure.
The initial ROK Navy maritime-threat combat-experiment tender R26BK01555160 concluded unsuccessfully on June 18, 2026. No supplier was selected and no delivery or contract followed from the initial procedure. The outcome is a distinct procurement lifecycle event and must not be confused with the June 17 re-tender R26BK01588145.
ROK Navy and Army forces conducted a critical-facility integrated port-defense exercise on June 18, 2026 using an actual unmanned surface vessel as a simulated penetrating maritime threat. The exercise tested detection and response procedures around protected port infrastructure. The event is a training and force-protection milestone, not a USV procurement.
ADD issued formal tender R26BK01628741 on July 13, 2026 for implementation of the USV navigation/navigation-sensor data analysis model. The procurement budget was KRW 362.7 million and the estimated price was approximately KRW 329.727 million, with work proposed through October 31, 2029. The procurement remained pre-award within the validation cutoff.
ADD issued tender R26BK01642380 on July 21, 2026 for a USV navigation/navigation-sensor data learning system. The procurement budget was KRW 656.8 million and the estimated price was approximately KRW 597.091 million, with work proposed through October 31, 2029. No award is claimed within the research cutoff.
Samsung Heavy Industries and Saronic Technologies signed a strategic business MOU in Washington on July 23, 2026. The cooperation covers autonomous maritime technologies, AI/digital solutions and production infrastructure relevant to uncrewed vessels. No specific defense customer or procurement award was disclosed.
The ROK Navy and Hanwha Systems conducted an AI-based unmanned mine-warfare combat experiment on August 3, 2026. The activity integrated Hanwha's 30-ton combat USV, the Haeryeong reconnaissance USV, an AUV and an AI-based mine-warfare control architecture, demonstrating simultaneous control of multiple unmanned systems.
Hanwha Systems demonstrated AI-generated mission planning aboard its 30-ton combat USV at Jangmok Port, Geoje, on August 7, 2026. The vessel interpreted a natural-language task, generated its route and autonomously conducted an identification/tracking mission before returning.
ADD issued tender R26BK01674176 on August 13, 2026 for a prototype controller associated with USV magnetic/acoustic combined mine-sweeping equipment. The procurement budget was KRW 400 million and the estimated price was approximately KRW 363.636 million, with work proposed through June 30, 2029.