Anduril Industries is expanding its ties with South Korean defense companies, signaling openness to equity-swap deals as the U.S. defense technology firm accelerates cooperation in autonomous ships, drones and AI battlefield systems.
Speaking in Seoul on May 7 local time, Anduril co-founder and Chief Executive Brian Schimpf said the company is willing to consider equity-based partnerships with Korean defense firms if strategic and economic conditions align.
“We are open-minded about building strong alliances with partners,” Mr. Schimpf said.
The comments mark a notable shift for Anduril, which has traditionally avoided cross-shareholding arrangements.
Mr. Schimpf praised South Korea’s defense industry for its speed and manufacturing capabilities, saying the country moves faster than competitors in Europe in areas such as rapid prototyping and shipbuilding.
A key part of Anduril’s strategy is its partnership with HD Hyundai in autonomous naval systems.
The companies first signed an agreement in April 2025 to jointly develop unmanned surface vessels and later expanded cooperation into AI-powered ship systems and autonomous operations software.
An autonomous surface-vessel prototype is currently under construction at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Ulsan and is scheduled to launch in October before sea trials off the U.S. coast.
The partnership has since expanded into unmanned underwater vehicles and maritime certification systems.
Mr. Schimpf said HD Hyundai specializes in ship operations and navigation technologies, while Anduril focuses on coordinating autonomous fleets across maritime, underwater and land domains.
Anduril is also strengthening cooperation with Korean Air in autonomous aerial systems.
The companies recently completed a test flight involving three autonomous drones operating without remote controllers in South Korea on April 30.
John Kim, chief executive of Anduril Korea, said the demonstration proved the viability of coordinated autonomous flight and could support future unmanned aircraft programs for the South Korean Air Force.
On May 7, Anduril also signed an agreement with Hyundai Rotem to integrate its AI-enabled Lattice software platform into unmanned ground systems and battlefield command infrastructure.
Mr. Schimpf described Lattice as a platform that helps military commanders process battlefield data more quickly by integrating information from thousands of sensors in real time.
The company is also exploring a larger manufacturing role for South Korea within its global supply chain.
“South Korea has speed, cost competitiveness and industrial capability,” Mr. Schimpf said. “We want Korea integrated into our global supply chain.”
Founded in 2017, Anduril develops autonomous defense systems including drones, autonomous aircraft and AI-powered military software supplied to the U.S. and allied militaries.
