Hanwha Systems drew attention from local media by unveiling 'Striker-S,' a medium-class medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) set to become a game-changer in future naval unmanned forces, at 'Eurosatory 2026,' Europe's largest defense exhibition held in Paris, France, from June 15 to 19.
Striker-S is a platform scaled up to medium class based on the unmanned surface vessel technology that Hanwha Systems has accumulated, including the reconnaissance unmanned surface vessel 'Haeryeong' and swarm unmanned surface vessels.
At this defense exhibition, the medium unmanned surface vessel 'Striker-S' was revealed integrated with Hanwha Aerospace's multiple launch rocket system 'Chunmoo.' A key feature is that it is designed to carry a modular system capable of everything from reconnaissance to attack, mobilizing the synergy capabilities of Hanwha's defense affiliates, including radar and guided weapons.
The hull measures 35 meters in overall length, 6 meters in beam, with a displacement of approximately 250 tons. To maximize stealth performance, it adopts sharp hull angles and minimizes upper structures to significantly reduce its radar cross section (RCS). It is larger than the attack MUSVs currently operated in Ukraine and the Red Sea. It is an unmanned surface vessel comparable to a small corvette.
In particular, since no personnel are aboard and therefore no wheelhouse or living quarters are needed, internal space efficiency is maximized. The armament space can accommodate a container-type armament module of up to 10 tons. Thanks to this, it is possible to load various weapons depending on the mission.
Chunmoo can carry guided missiles of various ranges from 80 km to 290 km, along with anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM). Striker-S, which integrates Chunmoo—equipped with an already proven combat system and missile launch capability—into a medium unmanned surface vessel, is significant in that it presents the possibility of exercising Chunmoo's firepower at sea through ASBM.
"Following the recent Strait of Hormuz blockade, as the paradigm of global naval warfare shifts toward unmanned threat response and distributed firepower operations, Hanwha Systems plans to actively target overseas export markets in Europe and elsewhere, as well as the domestic market, with Striker-S at the forefront," a Hanwha Systems official said.
Distributed firepower operations is a tactic in which armament systems are divided and loaded onto multiple unmanned vessels that scatter and attack simultaneously. It is a future-oriented naval tactic that reduces friendly casualties while maximizing attack effectiveness.
Striker-S's greatest strength is that it can perform autonomous swarm navigation and distributed attacks by linking in real time with manned vessels or ground command posts. Without directly entering waters with a high risk of enemy attack, it serves as a remote guided-missile launch vessel at the frontline. This can enhance the survivability of manned vessels—the core assets of friendly forces—and their crews.
Thanks to such capabilities, it can become a core asset for next-generation force enhancement that can raise the overall naval combat power of friendly forces several-fold. To this end, Striker-S moves away from the form of a one-time small suicide drone and is designed to aim for a high-performance 'combat unmanned surface vessel' equipped with autonomous navigation, network-based strikes, and modular armament loading capabilities.
Above all, the most notable strength is its combination with Hanwha Aerospace's guided weapon system 'Chunmoo.' By mounting a container-type launcher in the armament space on the rear deck, it can switch its mission to a powerful attack-type unmanned surface vessel that performs reconnaissance missions and, when necessary, penetrates enemy lines to strike targets.
The integrated sensors that serve as the eyes of the unmanned surface vessel are built around a high-performance active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Based on this, aerial targets can be detected from about 50 km away. The maritime surveillance range is under 30 km. In addition, the AESA radar is linked to an anti-drone (C-UAS) system, giving it the defensive capability to protect the vessel by itself from unmanned threats such as drones, which are rapidly increasing at sea.
Hanwha Systems explained that the vessel has currently completed conceptual design and is ready to rapidly enter mass production once the requirements of domestic and overseas customers are identified.
