Navy conducts 1st undersea mine-sweeping trial using 'AI officer,' unmanned vessels
SEOUL, Aug. 3 (Yonhap) -- The Navy said Monday it carried out its first mine-swe...
On August 3, the South Korean Navy successfully conducted its inaugural mine-sweeping trial utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology and unmanned vessels, signaling a significant leap towards enhancing its future maritime operational prowess. The trial, a collaborative effort spearheaded by the defense conglomerate Hanwha Systems, unfolded at a naval facility nestled in Busan, a pivotal southeastern port city.
This technologically-driven exercise pitted the 730-ton Ongjin minesweeper against a suite of advanced unmanned systems, including two spy drones, two unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and one autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) crafted by Hanwha.
The simulated scenario envisioned the Busan port under threat of a blockade by enemy mines. Hanwha's USVs, while not inherently designed for mine-clearance duties, were repurposed for the trial, with the Navy projecting their future upgrade to incorporate mine-sweeping functionalities. Guiding this complex operation was the "AI staff officer" system, a cutting-edge artificial intelligence tool tasked with evaluating weather and sea current conditions to advise the human commander aboard the Ongjin vessel and the two unmanned vessels.
In a meticulously orchestrated mission, the AI staff officer's analysis of environmental data steered the Ongjin and the unmanned vessels in the establishment of strategic search zones aimed at detecting simulated sea mines. Meanwhile, the spy drones concurrently surveyed the operational landscape surrounding the port. The trial's success underscores the potential of integrating AI-supported missions with combined manned and unmanned crew operations, heralding a promising future for naval operations.
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