HD Hyundai unveils unmanned surface vessel at U.S. AI expo

HD Hyundai has unveiled “TENEBRIS,” an unmanned surface vessel (USV) being co-developed with Palantir, for the first time at a U.S. AI expo.

From the 7th to the 8th (local time), HD Hyundai displayed a model of its AI-powered USV at the AI EXPO for National Competitiveness, held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., showcasing its capabilities in unmanned naval vessels.

The expo drew more than 150 leading U.S. defense and AI companies, including Palantir, Lockheed Martin, Google and Microsoft, as well as national security agencies such as the National Security Agency, the Department of Energy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Space Force. Security and military decision-makers from key countries, including the Five Eyes nations, also attended. South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Cho Hyun-dong visited the TENEBRIS exhibit to learn about HD Hyundai’s future unmanned naval vessel technology.

The reconnaissance USV TENEBRIS, unveiled by HD Hyundai and Palantir, was displayed at Palantir’s booth, the expo’s largest sponsor. TENEBRIS means “darkness” in Latin and reflects the vessel’s ability to conduct covert reconnaissance near enemy territory. With a light displacement of 14 tons and a length of 17 meters, it features a high-performance hull and advanced AI. Development is targeted for completion in 2026.

HD Hyundai plans to maximize the USV’s seaworthiness and range so it can be deployed anytime, anywhere, without performance loss—including communications outages—even as maritime conditions change. It also aims to increase speed and payload capacity and improve stealth performance.

The vessel will also incorporate advanced AI technology by combining HD Hyundai’s autonomous navigation and ship-integrated management systems with Palantir’s AI platform to enable Mission Autonomy, or AI-based autonomous mission execution.

According to U.S. market research firm Allied Market Research, the global USV market is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 11.5%, from $920 million in 2022 to $2.7 billion in 2032.

“We are very pleased to expand our collaboration with HD Hyundai, a longtime Palantir partner, into the defense sector and apply an entirely new set of AI capabilities to unmanned naval vessels,” said Rob Imig, head of defense research and development at Palantir.

HD Hyundai said it will work with Palantir, a top-tier company in defense AI, to lead the USV sector, which is emerging as a new blue ocean in the global naval vessel market.

In April, HD Hyundai announced plans to work with Palantir to develop a USV that could be a game changer in future naval warfare. The company is actively entering the domestic and international unmanned naval vessel markets, including by winning a contract for a conceptual design of a shipborne USV commissioned by the Republic of Korea Navy.