HJ Shipbuilding & Construction has signed a contract for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of a U.S. Navy ship. It is the first entry by a mid-sized shipbuilder into a U.S. Navy ship MRO project.
On the 15th, HJ Shipbuilding & Construction said it signed a mid-level maintenance contract for the 40,000-ton class dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Amelia Earhart, which is affiliated with the Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) and the Military Sealift Command (MSC).
The project covers essential maintenance, repairs, overhauls and upgrades to keep the ship in an operationally ready condition. HJ Shipbuilding & Construction will begin full-scale maintenance at the quay of its Yeongdo Shipyard in Busan starting in January next year. After completing hull and major system inspections and repairs, parts replacements and painting, the company will deliver the ship to the U.S. Navy around the end of March next year.
HJ Shipbuilding & Construction noted that, based on its accumulated experience in building and maintaining special-purpose ships, it has been preparing since 2024 to enter overseas MRO markets. U.S. Navy ship MRO has high barriers to entry due to stringent regulations and the need for advanced technical capabilities, but profitability is correspondingly high.
USNS Amelia Earhart is a logistics support ship that supplies up to 6,000 tons of ammunition, food and cargo and 2,400 tons of fuel to mainline ships such as U.S. aircraft carriers and warships, and it entered service in 2008. Measuring 210 meters in length and 32 meters in beam, it can sail at 20 knots (37 km/h). It is named after Amelia Earhart, a U.S. human rights activist and the first woman to complete a transatlantic flight.
Yoo Sang-cheol, CEO of HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, said, "With this contract, the core competencies of our MRO business—maintenance capability, technical prowess and contract performance—have gained international recognition," and added, "Based on the technology and infrastructure we have built up over more than 50 years as a defense contractor specializing in naval vessels, we will meet the U.S. Navy's requested delivery schedules and quality to build trust."