South Korea chooses LIG Nex1 for reconnaissance USV

The South Korean Navy (ROKN) has contracted local shipbuilder LIG Nex1 to develop a new reconnaissance unmanned surface vehicle (USV) by 2027.

LIG Nex1 won the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) contract for the project to develop the reconnaissance USV, which is valued at 39.86 billion KRW (US$274 million).

The project is intended to enhance South Korea’s surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, as well as its rapid response abilities for forward naval bases and key ports.

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LIG Nex1 will actually produce not one USV but two under the contract, each of 12 metres in length.

The project is a key part of developing the ROKN’s future integrated crewed-uncrewed combat system, the “Navy Sea GHOST”.

LIG Nex1 won the contract on the strength of its significant uncrewed systems experience – it has been developing the “Sea Sword” series of unmanned surface vehicles under civilian-military projects since 2015.

The new USVs are expected to become flagship defence export products for South Korea once they have been developed and deployed with the ROKN. The intention is that they will use a modular approach to weapons and detection systems, which will make them saleable in a broad range of customers with varying mission profile needs.

LIG Next 1 said it had plans to develop future functionality for the USVs that would include integration with low-earth-orbit commercial satellites, to allow the vessels to expand their operational range.

The announcement from the ROKN is the second significant marker in a week. Just days earlier, South Korea announced that Hanwha Ocean had been selected to build the first two of its new FFX Batch-IV frigates.