HD Hyundai and Palantir showcased a model of the reconnaissance USV Tenebris at Palantir’s booth, one of the expo’s major sponsors. (Image courtesy of HD Hyundai)
SEOUL, May 9 (Korea Bizwire) – HD Hyundai, in collaboration with Palantir Technologies, has unveiled its artificial intelligence-based unmanned surface vessel (USV), codenamed Tenebris, at the AI Expo for National Competitiveness held in Washington D.C. on May 7 and 8.
The event, hosted at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, attracted over 150 major U.S. defense and AI companies, including Palantir, Lockheed Martin, Google, and Microsoft, as well as key national security agencies like the National Security Agency, Department of Energy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force. Decision-makers from allied nations, including the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, were also in attendance.
HD Hyundai and Palantir showcased a model of the reconnaissance USV Tenebris at Palantir’s booth, one of the expo’s major sponsors. Derived from the Latin word for darkness, Tenebris is designed for covert surveillance missions near enemy lines. With a weight of only 14 tons, a length of 17 meters, and advanced AI capabilities integrated into its high-performance hardware, the vessel is targeted for completion by 2026.
HD Hyundai plans to maximize Tenebris’s seaworthiness and range, ensuring uninterrupted operational capability regardless of maritime conditions or communication disruptions. The company also aims to enhance the vessel’s speed, payload capacity, and stealth capabilities.
By combining HD Hyundai’s autonomous navigation and integrated ship management systems with Palantir’s AI platform, the partners intend to incorporate world-leading artificial intelligence technologies to enable mission autonomy – AI-based autonomous mission execution.
According to market research firm Allied Market Research, the global unmanned surface vessel market is expected to grow from $920 million in 2022 to $2.7 billion by 2032, at an annual rate of 11.5%.
“We are thrilled to extend our long-standing partnership with HD Hyundai into the defense sector, applying an entirely new form of AI capability to the unmanned vessel domain,” said Rob Imig, Head of Defense R&D at Palantir.
HD Hyundai stated its intent to lead the emerging unmanned surface vessel market, a new blue ocean in the global shipbuilding industry, by collaborating with the top-tier defense AI company Palantir.
In April, HD Hyundai announced its partnership with Palantir to develop game-changing USVs for future naval warfare. The company has also been awarded a concept design contract for a ship-borne unmanned surface vessel by the Republic of Korea Navy, actively expanding its presence in the domestic and international unmanned vessel markets.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
