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best to go to citation for pictures https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/03/new-mine-warfare-usv-unveiled-by-rok-navy/

New Mine Warfare USV Unveiled by ROK Navy
Published on 14/03/2025
By Eunhyuk Cha
In News
New Mine Warfare USV Unveiled by ROK Navy
Scale model of the future Mine Warfare USV unveiled by the ROK Navy at
DSK 2025. Picture by author.
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The Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy released the concept design of its
future mine warfare USV at Drone Show Korea 2025 (DSK 2025).

The ROK Navy is actively pursuing the development of unmanned and
autonomous naval systems under its “Navy Sea Ghost” initiative. This program aims to enhance operational efficiency, reduce risks to
personnel, and address manpower shortages by integrating unmanned
surface and underwater vehicles into naval operations. It reflects the
ROK Navy’s strategic shift toward advanced naval warfare, aligning with global trends in unmanned maritime systems.

At DSK 2025, the ROK Navy revealed a conceptual model of its new mine
warfare USV. This USV is designed to conduct mine detection and
clearance operations using a remote-controlled mine hunting sonar and an autonomous mine neutralization system. The concept design was completed
last December by Hanwha Ocean, highlighting the navy’s commitment to enhancing its mine warfare capabilities through unmanned technology.


Mine warfare USV can tow sonar and mine sweep. Picture by author.
The newly revealed mine warfare USV has an approximate length of 12
meters, a beam of 3.2 meters, and a displacement of under 100 tons.
Equipped with state-of-the-art sensors and autonomous navigation
capabilities, the USV is expected to operate with minimal human
intervention while effectively neutralizing naval mines. Its modular
design allows for potential upgrades and integration with other unmanned systems in the future. Additionally, the longer design of the
mine-warfare USV demonstrates its capability to carry and operate
multiple mission systems simultaneously.

Among its various mission roles, which include reconnaissance, rescue,
and combat, mine warfare is a key focus for this unmanned asset.
Deploying unmanned systems for mine countermeasures reduces risks to
human operators and enhances the navy’s overall operational
effectiveness in littoral and high-risk environments. As the threat of
naval mines remains a significant challenge, particularly in the waters
around the Korean Peninsula, military experts emphasize the necessity of strengthening mine countermeasure capabilities.


LIG Nex1’s AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle)

Hanwha System’s ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle)
According to Dr. Raul Pedrozo of the U.S. Naval War College, in his KIMS
(Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy) Periscope publication, North
Korea asymmetrically relies on naval mines, while both the Republic of
Korea and U.S. navies lack sufficient modern mine-clearing assets. Given
the potential for naval mines to severely disrupt ROK Marine Corps
amphibious operations and naval fleet maneuverability during a conflict,
there has been a concerted effort to develop advanced mine
countermeasure assets, technologies, and combat systems to address this critical gap.


Mine countermeasure helicopter being developed by KAI (Korea Aerospace Industries)
To mitigate these challenges, South Korea is actively developing and integrating a range of mine countermeasure platforms alongside the
mine-warfare USV. This includes Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs),
designed to search for and assess the surrounding mine-warfare
environment, and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), which specialize in
mine neutralization. Additionally, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is developing a mine countermeasure helicopter based on the MUH-1 Marineon
to further enhance the navy’s ability to detect and neutralize naval
mines from the air.

Tags
Mine Warfare, ROK Navy, USV
Picture of Eunhyuk Cha
Eunhyuk Cha
Eunhyuk Cha is a motivated security researcher with an interest in international relations and security studies. He previously interned at
the U.S. Embassy Seoul and is a member of the ROK Forum for Nuclear
Strategy (ROKFNS). He is currently studying maritime cyber security at
Korea Maritime & Ocean University. His areas of interest include
security in East Asia and naval defense.

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