WASHINGTON — Hanwha Defense USA and Magnet Defense unveiled a scale model of the 38-meter H38 Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition. The uncrewed catamaran platform is engineered to support distributed maritime operations (DMO) and distributed lethality by integrating swappable containerized strike and air-defense missile systems.
The H38 incorporates Magnet Defense’s DriveAI autonomous navigation architecture and dual-hull aluminum design with Hanwha’s containerized K239 Chunmoo Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and Korean Vertical Launch System (K-VLS) modules. Engineered with a 75-metric-ton mission payload allowance, the platform can carry up to four 20-foot (6.1 m) ISO standard containers or two 40-foot (12.2 m) containers. The modular weapon bays support interchangeable strike configurations, including guided rockets, short/medium-range tactical ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine weapons, and surface-to-air interceptors. Payload integration testing for the H38 is scheduled for January 2027, targeting upcoming iteration cycles of the U.S. Navy’s MUSV Marketplace acquisition program.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: HANWHA DEFENSE USA / MAGNET DEFENSE H38 MUSV 
* Prime Contractors & Systems Integrators: Hanwha Defense USA & Magnet Defense (Joint Development Partnership)
* Platform Architecture: Uncrewed aluminum twin-hull catamaran (derived from the 48-meter M48 demonstrator baseline)
* Dimensions & Displacement:
* Overall Length: 38.0 m (124.6 ft)
* Lightship Displacement: 110 metric tons | Maximum Combined Displacement: 185 metric tons
* Payload Capacity: 75 metric tons (68% of lightship displacement)
* Performance, Endurance & Seakeeping:
* Maximum Speed: 28 knots | Cruising Speed: 15 knots
* Cruising Range & Endurance: 5,800 nautical miles (10,741 km / ~16.1 days continuous travel) at 15 knots
* Seakeeping Rating: Operable in Sea State 7 (wave heights up to 6–9 meters)
* Deck Layout & Modular Payload Integration:
* Deck Footprint: Accommodates up to four 20-ft ISO containers or two 40-ft ISO containers
* Containerized Weapon Options:
* Containerized K239 Chunmoo Modules (Up to 4 x 20-ft containers / 8 pods total):
* 48 x CGR-080 239 mm Guided Rockets (80 km range)
* 32 x CTM-MR Tactical Ballistic Missiles (160 km range)
* 32 x CTM-160 Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles
* 8 x CTM-290 Ballistic Missiles (290 km range)
* 8 x CTM-X Long-Range Ballistic Missiles (Up to 500 km range)
* Containerized K-VLS Modules (Up to 4 x 20-ft or 2 x 40-ft containers):
* K-VLS Compact (20-ft container): 4 cells per module (up to 16 cells for K-SAAM Haegung SAMs)
* K-VLS I (40-ft container): 4 cells per module (up to 8 cells for K-SAAM, K-ASROC Red Shark anti-submarine torpedoes, or SSM-700K Haeseong anti-ship missiles)
* K-VLS II (40-ft container): 2 cells per module (up to 4 cells for large L-SAM interceptors and cruise/ballistic missiles)
* Autonomy, Navigation & Hull Architecture:
* Autonomy Suite: Magnet Defense DriveAI autonomous navigation processing AIS, radar, and optical sensors
* COLREGs Compliance: AI-driven automated collision avoidance and route adjustment without human intervention
* Shipyard Production: Manufacturing base established via Magnet’s Metal Shark facility (125,000 sq ft) in Louisiana
