"Super Buyer Arrives"... US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Visits Hanwha Ocean Geoje Shipyard

The so-called 'super buyer,' the Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy, has finally visited Hanwha Ocean's Geoje shipyard.

With the MASGA (Make America Ship Great Again) project, a new term inspired by 'MAGA' (Make America Great Again) and ships, now in full swing, the visit symbolized the close partnership between the US and Korean shipbuilding industries.

Following the conclusion of the Korea-US tariff negotiations, which ushered in a new phase of cooperation between the two countries, Admiral Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy, visited Hanwha Ocean's Geoje shipyard on the 15th.

On the 15th, Daryl Caudle (center front row), Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy, and Heecheol Kim (right front row), CEO of Hanwha Ocean, are inspecting the US Navy supply ship Charles Drew, which Hanwha Ocean is maintaining and repairing (MRO).

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Hanwha Ocean (CEO Kim Heecheol) announced on the 16th that Admiral Caudle, accompanied by Kevin Kim, Acting Ambassador of the US Embassy in Korea, toured the Geoje shipyard, starting with the exhibition hall and continuing through the assembly plant and the special ship quay. Hanwha Ocean CEO Kim Heecheol and President Eo Seongcheol, Head of the Special Ship Business Division, welcomed Admiral Caudle and his delegation.

Standing in front of the US Navy replenishment ship Charles Drew, which Hanwha Ocean is currently maintaining through MRO, Admiral Caudle praised Hanwha Ocean's world-class large-scale shipbuilding infrastructure and business capabilities. He also emphasized that cooperation in shipbuilding between the two countries would further strengthen the Korea-US alliance.

Since August last year, when Hanwha Ocean began MRO work on the US Navy's Willi Schirra, followed by the Yukon in November last year and the Charles Drew in July this year, the company has achieved the highest number and the first-ever MRO projects for US Navy vessels among domestic shipyards. The Willi Schirra and Yukon were successfully delivered to the US Navy after completing MRO work, while the Charles Drew is currently undergoing final maintenance, with delivery scheduled for January next year.

Hanwha Ocean's fourth special ship plant, completed last month, was built as a carbon-neutral facility by applying an AI-based equipment and energy management platform with smart integrated control. In addition, the plant features an automated piping fabrication system that automates processes such as cutting and bending pipes.

Hanwha Ocean CEO Kim Heecheol (first from the left) is explaining Hanwha Ocean's technological capabilities to Admiral Darryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy, at the shipbuilding site.

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It has been reported that Admiral Caudle showed keen interest in the automated factory equipment at Assembly Plant 1, where commercial ship blocks such as LNG carriers and ultra-large container ships are produced. This includes the 'Lonji' automated welding machine, which can simultaneously weld ten ship reinforcements, as well as the 'Dandi' and 'Indi' ship block welding robots.

Hanwha Ocean conveyed to Admiral Caudle and his delegation its ambition to expand its business scope under the motto, "From US Navy logistics support ship MRO to combat ship MRO, and from MRO to new shipbuilding," leveraging its rapid delivery capabilities and proven naval solutions.

Hanwha Ocean CEO Kim Heecheol stated, "Hanwha Ocean will not only be the 'most reliable partner' of the US Navy but also serve as an 'icon of strengthened Korea-US alliance.' We will devote our efforts to ensuring the successful implementation of the MASGA project in line with the cooperative framework between the Korean and US shipbuilding industries."

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