The exercise was held at a naval base in Busan and was jointly led by South Korean defence company Hanwha Systems, the Navy said on Monday. It involved the Navy’s 730-ton Ongjin minesweeper, spy drones, two unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and one autonomous underwater vehicle developed by Hanwha.   The trial was based on a simulated situation where Busan port had been blocked by enemy mines. The Navy tested how crewed ships, unmanned vessels and AI systems could work together to locate and respond to underwater threats.

The mission was managed with the support of an “AI staff officer” system, which analysed weather and sea current conditions and provided guidance to the commander of the Ongjin vessel and the unmanned ships.   Using information from the AI system, the Ongjin minesweeper and the unmanned vessels created search areas to find simulated sea mines. At the same time, spy drones monitored the operational environment around the port.

The Navy said the exercise showed that combining AI-supported missions with manned and unmanned systems could support future naval operations. Hanwha’s unmanned surface vehicles used in the trial are not currently designed for mine-sweeping operations. However, they were included in the exercise as platforms that could be upgraded with mine-clearing capabilities in the future, the Navy said.   The trial is part of South Korea’s efforts to develop future naval capabilities using artificial intelligence, autonomous vessels and unmanned systems.

Separately, South Korea’s state arms procurement agency earlier in July signed an agreement with Hanwha Ocean Co. to begin detailed planning and construction of the lead ship under the Korea Destroyer Next Generation (KDDX) programme.   The Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the agreement covers the planning and construction of the first KDDX destroyer, with the lead ship expected to be delivered to the Navy by 2032.     The Navy has not announced further details on future AI-based mine-sweeping trials, but said the exercise demonstrated the potential of combining human command with unmanned maritime systems.