Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA), Hanwha Systems Co. (HSC), and U.S.-based collaborative autonomy specialist HavocAI announced a joint initiative to develop next-generation 200-foot autonomous surface vessels (ASVs). The collaboration brings together Hanwha’s global shipbuilding expertise and U.S. manufacturing footprint with HavocAI’s advanced collaborative autonomy technology to accelerate the delivery of scalable, mission-ready autonomous maritime platforms.
The agreement marks a significant milestone in the U.S. defense shipbuilding landscape. Hanwha is currently the only shipbuilder operating an active shipyard in the United States to enter into a formal development partnership with an autonomous vessel technology company. As part of the initiative, Hanwha Philly Shipyard is being evaluated as a potential production site for the 200-foot autonomous ASVs.
HavocAI has rapidly emerged as a leader in autonomous maritime systems. The company recently closed an $85 million funding round, publicly confirmed the sale of dozens of autonomous vessels to the U.S. Department of War, and successfully demonstrated its collaborative autonomy capabilities in GPS-denied environments during evaluations conducted with Ukrainian officials.
Also Read: Clarios Advances Sodium-Ion Strategy with Altris and InoBat Partnerships
“By forging a partnership between an allied defense company with advanced manufacturing scale in Hanwha with a software-first defense technology company in HavocAI, we will deliver state-of-the art ASVs at scale for American service members,” said Hanwha Defense USA CEO Michael Coulter. “This agreement will not only deliver for the American warfighter but will create much-needed competition for the Department of War acquisition process.”
“The Department of War has sent a clear demand signal to the shipbuilding industry: we need more boats, faster, with more capabilities, for less money,” said Paul Lwin, Co-founder and CEO of HavocAI. “Partnerships like this – pairing a leading-edge technology with an established global infrastructure – are exactly how we achieve that goal.”
Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the three companies will collaborate across all major phases of ASV development. The scope includes mass production planning, vessel installation and integration, proposal development, and technical engineering domains. Together, the partners aim to accelerate delivery timelines, reduce costs, and enhance autonomous maritime capabilities to meet evolving defense requirements.