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By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, May 7 (Yonhap) -- U.S. defense tech firm Anduril Industries Inc. said Thursday it plans to expand partnerships with South Korean defense companies by combining its artificial intelligence (AI) platform with the country's advanced manufacturing capabilities across various weapons systems.

Brian Schimpf, Anduril's co-founder and chief executive officer, outlined the plan during his visit to South Korea, where he signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hyundai Rotem Co. to develop an AI-powered manned-unmanned teaming command and control system.

The partnership aims to apply Anduril's Lattice platform to Hyundai Rotem's unmanned platforms and key ground systems to enhance integrated command capabilities, enabling real-time situational awareness and autonomous mission execution.

"A core challenge on today's battlefield is making fast, accurate decisions amid an overwhelming flood of information," Schimpf said during a press conference in Seoul. "With Lattice, our goal is to automate the burden of information processing so commanders can focus on the decisions that matter most."

Brian Schimp, Anduril's co-founder and chief executive officer, explains Anduril's partnership with South Korean defense companies during a press conference in Seoul on May 7, 2026, in this photo provided by Anduril. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Schimpf said Anduril is looking forward to working with Korean companies with "world-class expertise in their industrial area, a real footprint and an ability to operate at scale" and those who can be complemented with the addition of its autonomous and software technologies.

Last week, Anduril successfully validated the performance of its autonomy software through a demonstration involving three platforms in partnership with Korean Air Co., which has been developing unmanned aerial vehicles, according to John Kim, head of Anduril Korea.

In the naval platform field, Anduril signed an MOU with South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. in April 2025 to jointly develop an unmanned surface vessel. The two companies later signed a contract in November to design and build a prototype autonomous surface vessel (ASV).

The ASV prototype is currently under construction at HD Hyundai's Ulsan shipyard and is expected to be launched as early as October before undergoing sea trials off the U.S. coast, Kim noted.

Building on that cooperation, Anduril and HD Hyundai signed an additional MOU at the Sea-Air-Space Exhibition in Washington in March to jointly develop advanced unmanned underwater systems.

"Over the past year, we have delivered tangible progress with our Korean partners, including the commencement of construction of an ASV prototype and the joint development of autonomous aerial vehicles," Kim said. "Building on today's agreement with Hyundai Rotem, we aim to combine Korea's hardware expertise with Anduril's software to help advance more precise and efficient, networked defense capabilities."

ejkim@yna.co.kr
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