MADEX 2025: Hanwha debuts Combat Unmanned Surface Vessel

A model of the Combat Unmanned Surface Vessel concept on display at MADEX 2025. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)

South Korea's Hanwha Ocean has unveiled its unmanned surface vessel (USV) concept that has been optimised specifically for manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operations.

Known simply as the Combat Unmanned Surface Vessel (CUSV), the concept has been designed with an emphasis on connectivity such that it can work in concert with its ‘mother ship', although it can also be controlled from land.

A major characteristic of this connectivity is the USV's suite of sensors, which has been described by a Hanwha representative at MADEX 2025 in Busan as substantially more complex compared with other USVs in the market.

The suite includes a multifunction radar, a satellite communications system for beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) operations, a navigation radar, and electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) surveillance sensors.

Its weapon options include a stabilised remote-controlled weapon station (RCWS) in the primary position, and launchers for rockets in the aft section.

These systems are controlled via a proprietary combat management system (CMS) that has been conceived specifically for the USV, which is able to fuse date from the USV and its mother ship.

This allows the decision maker onboard the mother ship to make more informed decisions on the type of effectors to deploy and direct further USV-borne operations from a distance, said the Hanwha representative who spoke to Janes at MADEX 2025.

Furthermore, this CMS is expendable such that it is able to control more than one USV at a time in scenarios where swarm tactics against a larger adversary needs to be employed.

At MADEX 2025, the CUSV concept was showcased on a vehicle that measures approximately 20 m in overall length.