HJ Shipbuilding & Construction said on the 21st it signed a maintenance, repair, and availability (MSRA) agreement with the U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command.
With this, HJ Shipbuilding & Construction secured eligibility to participate in all bids for MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) projects for support ships and combat ships belonging to the U.S. Navy for the next five years. In Korea, it is the third after Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The MRO market was valued at 79 trillion won last year, and within that, the U.S. Navy MRO market is estimated at 20 trillion won annually.
To sign an MSRA, companies must meet strict standards set by the U.S. Navy for quality, technological capability, production facilities, supply chains, security systems, and safety management, and pass a rigorous review.
HJ Shipbuilding & Construction already won an MRO contract in Dec. 2024 for the 40,000-ton logistics support ship USNS Amelia Earhart under the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command and began full-scale maintenance work on the 12th.
The ship is 210 meters long and 32 meters wide, and as a logistics support ship, it can supply up to 6,000 tons of ammunition, food, dry cargo, and 2,400 tons of fuel to mainstay vessels, including U.S. Navy combat ships.
An HJ Shipbuilding & Construction official said, "With the MSRA signed with the U.S. Navy, our ship technology has been recognized in the global market, allowing us to fully participate in the U.S. Navy ship MRO market," adding, "We will devote our full efforts to carrying out MRO projects going forward, build sustained mutual trust and cooperation with the U.S. Navy, and enhance the stature of K-defense."