26-N Combat Experiment to Verify Operational Effects through USVs: South Korea contract and delivery record

Development and reported outcome

Factory IMS was identified as the selected contractor for the ROK Navy's USV operational-effects combat-experiment service on May 18, 2026. The underlying tender budget was KRW 250 million, but a final winning value was not publicly visible in the validated source set. The event is therefore classified as contractor selection rather than contract signing.[S1] [S2]

Program, platform and stakeholders

Programme or contract: 26-N Combat Experiment to Verify Operational Effects through USVs. Platform or product: USV combat-experiment service. Recorded supplier, developer or relevant organization: Factory IMS (reported headquarters/country: South Korea). Recorded customer, operator or intended user: ROK Navy Operations Command (reported headquarters/country: South Korea).[S1] [S2]

Mission and technical scope

The following are classifications recorded in the source master, not additional claims of operational deployment: Mission/use-case classification: Operational Experimentation.

Contract, value and shipment signals

Original reported amount or scope: Winning value not publicly visible; underlying tender budget KRW 250 million. Original-currency label: KRW. Delivery schedule, procurement window or milestone status: Tender required USV-related delivery within four months of contract. Recorded contractual end: 31-Dec-26.[S1] [S2]

Source verification and interpretation limits

UXV Searcher master source-coverage note: Procurement result identifies Factory IMS as selected bidder at the May 18 opening/result. Publicly visible sources do not show the winning contract value, so the KRW 250 million tender budget is not treated as award value.

Interpretation boundary: The source-specific record should be used to distinguish award, arrival, commissioning and completed delivery; these stages are not interchangeable.[S1] [S2]

UXV Searcher analysis — what the development changes

UXV Searcher interpretation — bid selection / award-stage signal: The South Korea USV record for 26-N Combat Experiment to Verify Operational Effects through USVs is best treated as a procurement conversion signal. A named selection or bid result narrows the opportunity but does not, by itself, verify a signed contract or delivery.

Traceability for buyers: The dataset associates Factory IMS with ROK Navy Operations Command for USV combat-experiment service. This supports stakeholder mapping; supply-chain tier, exclusivity and signed-customer relationships need the underlying source before firm classification.

Client-use interpretation: For intelligence users tracking Operational Experimentation, the relevant next proof points are marine mission suitability, payload integration and measurable delivery or service outcomes. Confirm contract execution, awarded scope and subsequent acceptance documents before assigning contract revenue or installed-base units.[S1] [S2]

Quantitative evidence, calculations and limits

Financial signal (master transcription): Winning value not publicly visible; underlying tender budget KRW 250 million. Classification: An associated financial figure exists in the source text, but the transaction amount is not reliably established. Delivery/timing evidence: Tender required USV-related delivery within four months of contract. Scheduling language is not independently proof of completion or acceptance.

Any volume or value must stay tagged to its awarded work package; mixed services, components and platform counts cannot be consolidated as vehicle deliveries.[S1] [S2]