LIG Nex1 selected for South Korea's reconnaissance USV programme

LIG Nex1's reconnaissance unmanned surface vessel. (LIG Nex1)

South Korean defence systems company LIG Nex1 has been selected as the preferred bidder in the country's programme to develop an unmanned surface vessel (USV) that can be deployed for naval reconnaissance operations.

This selection was made by South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) on 11 September, the company announced in a statement released the next day.

LIG Nex1 was selected after obtaining high scores across all criteria that were used in evaluating potential bidders, the company said in its statement.

With the selection, LIG Nex1 will now undertake a research and development programme and produce two 12 m USV prototypes by 2027.

Besides surveillance and reconnaissance operations, these USVs must be able to respond rapidly to incidences along the country's forward operating bases and major ports, LIG Nex1 added in its statement.

Sea Sword

LIG Nex1 has been developing the Sea Sword series of USVs since 2015. The latest iteration in this series that can meet DAPA's requirements for a 12 m-class USV is the Sea Sword 3, which was unveiled at the Defense and Security Expo Korea (DX Korea) exhibition in November 2020.

The USV displaces about 11 tonnes, has an overall length of 12 m, and an overall beam of 3.5 m. These dimensions are largely similar to the Sea Sword 2, which was unveiled in 2019, but the newer variant can accommodate up to eight personnel instead of two.

In terms of weapons, the Sea Sword 3 USV can be armed with a remote-controlled weapon station (RCWS), incorporating a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and a 70 mm guided rocket launcher. This weapon system is mounted in the aft section.