HD Hyundai will join with Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII), the largest defense shipbuilder in the United States, to build the U.S. Navy's "next-generation replenishment ship." It is considered significant as the first case of cooperation between Korea and the United States on a replenishment ship.
HD Hyundai said on the 26th that it signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on cooperation in the design and construction of commercial and naval ships with Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII).
The U.S. Navy's next-generation replenishment ship under development is a vessel that supplies fuel and logistics to combat ships in the theater of operations. It offers greater mobility and more efficient operation than existing supply ships.
The two companies agreed to cooperate on the design and construction of the U.S. Navy's next-generation replenishment ship and, further, to share know-how and capabilities to improve construction expense and delivery schedules across the commercial and naval ship sectors.
The U.S. Navy recently issued a bid notice for the concept design of the next-generation replenishment ship.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries first exported the replenishment ship Endeavour to New Zealand in 1987, followed by the successful delivery of a second replenishment ship, Aotearoa, in 2020. It also supplied three Cheonji-class replenishment ships and one Soyang-class replenishment ship to the Republic of Korea Navy.
In addition, the companies will jointly invest in acquiring or newly establishing shipbuilding production facilities in the United States and will supply block modules and major materials to Newport News Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding, the two shipyards of Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) Group.
They will also consider establishing a joint engineering company in shipbuilding and will mutually cooperate in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) for U.S. Navy and allied ships.
Ju Won-ho, head of the Special and Naval Ship Business Division at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said, "This MOA represents joint participation in projects ordered by the U.S. Navy and investment to secure a ship production foothold in the United States," adding, "It is a practical case of cooperation between the representative defense shipbuilding corporations of Korea and the United States."
Eric Chuning, vice president of Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII), said, "We look forward to working with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and the governments and customers of Korea and the United States to innovate the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base and enhance productivity."