Anduril and HD Hyundai are expanding their partnership of designing and building autonomous surface vessels as the first ship in their new class enters production.
“Following the successful completion of our critical design review, construction on our first ASV is underway, and the ship is on track to be in the water and tested by the end of this year,” according to an Anduril statement to Military Times.
Anduril has been conducting daily at-sea testing to give insights into moving the vessel from production to operation, as it collects open-water operation data that will transfer to the first production hull when it delivers, per the statement.
Alongside HD Hyundai, Anduril is joining forces with Edison Chouest Offshore, a maritime transportation company, to produce the ASVs at their U.S. shipyards.
Speaking with reporters at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition on Monday, Anduril’s General Manager and Vice President of Surface Dominance Cory Emmons did not give a specific number of the ship’s production rate.
The vessel being built right now is set to be in the water this October, Emmons said, and its testing and sailing takes place from there. Anduril will be taking ownership of the vessel for testing off the U.S. coast by the end of 2026.
Emmons declined to comment on the vessel’s price tag.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.