Hanwha and Havoc AI Pursue Global Partnership in Unmanned Maritime Systems

Joint Demonstration Marks First Major Collaboration Between GlobalShipbuilder and U.S. Defense Technology Company

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Hanwha is accelerating its entry into the U.S. market through a strategic collaboration with U.S.-based autonomy solutions company Havoc AI, following a joint technology demonstration of autonomous navigation and remote operations for maritime unmanned systems.

On Tuesday, Havoc AI CEO Paul Lwin and members of the company’s research team visited Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard, where they reviewed Hanwha’s naval shipbuilding and maritime systems capabilities.

Havoc AI then conducted a live demonstration in which six Havoc AI autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) conducted an autonomous force protection mission off the coast of Hawaii, with beyond-line-of-sight command and control from Geoje, Korea.

“Hanwha’s global defense strategy is focused on our evolution from the leading Korean aerospace company to a leading global aerospace company,” said Michael Coulter, CEO of Hanwha Global Defense. “This partnership seeks to incorporate both our technology and industrial strength with a leading U.S. technology company to create new, scalable capabilities in the U.S. while deepening the interoperability of our partners.”

“Harnessing Hanwha Group’s maritime systems expertise and shipbuilding capabilities together with Havoc AI’s autonomy will enable the deployment of thousands of autonomous vessels of various sizes over the next two years,” said Paul Lwin, CEO of Havoc AI.

The partnership will aim to integrate Hanwha Ocean’s warship construction expertise; Hanwha Systems’ combat management system (CMS) and platform/system integration capabilities; and Havoc AI’s advanced collaborative autonomy stack to deliver deployable products and solutions. Such a move could also provide scalable solutions across the defense and maritime domains.

Additionally, the collaboration highlights Hanwha’s commitment to investing in new technologies to expand its industrial partnership for allies across the United States, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East.

“We will leverage Hanwha Systems’ CMS and naval platform integration strengths, along with intra-group synergies, to work with Havoc AI and make tangible inroads into the global maritime unmanned systems market spanning Korea and the United States,” said Ryu Moon-Ghee, head of the Naval Business Division at Hanwha Systems.