Hanwha Systems stock: Naval smart bridge project targets automation
Published on 11/11/2026 at 00:40 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSNaval automation project advances
- The planned system combines navigation, combat, propulsion and control functions in one cockpit-style bridge.
- Hanwha Systems plans to integrate its combat management, engineering control and unmanned systems technologies.
- The project addresses naval crew shortages and supports the development of automated and unmanned vessels.
Hanwha Systems has secured a contract to develop a cockpit-style integrated bridge system for naval vessels, according to Aju Press. The company announced the project on November 2, 2026, with work scheduled to continue through 2030.
Bridge system targets crew shortages
The planned system is designed to bring navigation, combat, propulsion and control functions together in one cockpit-style operating space. Aju Press reported that two crew members could handle functions previously distributed among several shipboard control areas.
Hanwha Systems plans to combine the bridge with its own combat management system, integrated engineering control system and unmanned systems. The technology is also intended to use artificial intelligence to assess collision risks and suggest avoidance routes.
Technology supports unmanned vessels
The project is overseen by South Korea's Defense Technology Promotion Research Institute. It follows an August contract for the integrated bridge system of the Navy's next-generation Ulsan-class Batch IV frigate, for which Hanwha Systems is also set to supply combat, control and multifunction phased-array radar equipment.
Aju Press described cockpit-style integrated bridge technology as concentrated among a small number of countries, including the United States and Italy. For Hanwha Systems, the project broadens its naval automation portfolio and links its defense electronics capabilities with the Navy's need to operate vessels with fewer crew members.
Defense and information systems
Hanwha Systems' company overview says the South Korean company operates defense and ICT divisions. Its defense activities cover electronic optics, command, control and communications, radar, avionics and space systems, while its ICT division provides information systems and data-center services to customers in financial, manufacturing, petrochemical and construction industries.
Hanwha Systems at a glance
- Company: Hanwha Systems
- Core divisions: Defense and ICT
- Naval project: Cockpit-style integrated bridge system
- Key technologies: Combat management, engineering control, unmanned systems and radar
