DEVELOPMENT OF AUTONOMOUS SHIPS

[Anchor Lead]

The self-driving technology used in automobiles has been successfully applied to ships as well. Autonomous ship trials are already underway, and it looks like they will soon be used in national defense and fishing.

[Pkg]

A boat speeds through waves in the sea off the southern coast of Korea. Its bow is lifted because of the high speed of 60 kilometers per hour. It can change direction abruptly by 90 degrees and rotate in place when conducting search operations. Equipped with a radar, optical cameras and a thermal sensor, the boat can detect and avoid obstacles located as far as 3 kilometers away. The control center of this unmanned vessel is located on land 12 kilometers away.

[Soundbite] YOO JAE-KWAN(AUTONOMOUS NAVIGATION DEVELOPMENT) : "We have tested the boat and its remote control system. The results turned out as planned."

Developed through a joint effort of private firms and the military, the unmanned boat can travel 450 km and wait at sea for extended periods of time. Autonomous navigation technologies have advanced significantly in recent years, and can now be used in merchant ships, passenger ferries and fishing vessels. Unmanned ships were first introduced three years ago, but their operation had been suspended due to maritime regulations. The government of Gyeongsangnam-do Province plans to develop the southern coast of Korea into a base for unmanned ships using the region's superb shipbuilding technologies and IT.

[Soundbite] KIM TAE-HEE(GYEONGSANGNAM-DO PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT) : "Verification companies and regional partner firms will join hands to create prime conditions for the unmanned ship industry in Gyeongsangnam-do Province."

Commercialization of unmanned vessels is slated for the year 2023 after verifying their performance and safety in the next two years and developing new models.