HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Wins First US Navy Logistics Support Vessel MRO Contract Following MASGA Proposal

41,000-Ton 'Alan Shepard' Vessel
Maintenance to Be Performed Near HD Hyundai Mipo in Ulsan
Scheduled for Delivery to US Navy in November This Year

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has won its first contract for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for a US Navy logistics support vessel. This marks the first contract awarded since the Korean government proposed the Korea-US Shipbuilding Cooperation Project MASGA to the United States, signaling the official beginning of defense shipbuilding cooperation between the two countries.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will conduct MRO for the USNS Allen Shepard of the US Navy 7th Fleet. Photo by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced on August 6 that it recently secured the periodic maintenance project for the USNS Alan Shepard, a cargo replenishment ship belonging to the US Navy 7th Fleet. The USNS Alan Shepard is a 41,000-ton supply ship, measuring 210 meters in length, 32 meters in width, and 9.4 meters in height. It was commissioned in 2007 and is named after Alan Shepard, a former naval officer and the first American astronaut.

This maintenance work will begin in September at a quay near HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to carry out tasks such as propeller cleaning, maintenance of various tanks, and equipment inspections, and will deliver the vessel to the US Navy in November.

Joo Wonho, Head of Special Ship Business at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, stated, "This MRO contract is especially significant as it is the first to be awarded since the government proposed the MASGA project. As a leading Korean shipbuilding company, we will do our utmost to successfully complete the MRO for the US Navy logistics support vessel."

HD Hyundai has recently been expanding its MRO business base by strengthening cooperation with US defense and commercial shipbuilding companies. In April, the company signed a technology cooperation and joint construction partnership with Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the largest US defense shipbuilder. In June, it entered into a similar partnership with ECO (Edison Chouest Offshore), a shipbuilding group. At the end of June, HD Hyundai also hosted the Korea-US Shipbuilding Cooperation Expert Forum with more than 40 shipbuilding experts from major US universities such as the University of Michigan and MIT, continuing its efforts to enhance Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.