HD Hyundai Heavy wins MRO contract for US Navy’s auxiliary ship 

South Korean shipbuilding major HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured a contract for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of a US Navy auxiliary ship, marking the first since the Korean government’s “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA)” proposal.

As informed, the contract covers the scheduled overhaul of USNS Alan Shepard, a 41,000-ton dry cargo and ammunition ship assigned to the US Navy’s 7th Fleet.

The ship, measuring 210 meters in length, 32 meters in beam, and 9.4 meters in depth, entered service in 2007 and was named after Alan Shepard, a Rear Admiral and the first American astronaut to travel into space.

Starting in September, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will carry out the overhaul at a berth near HD Hyundai Mipo in Ulsan.

The work scope includes propeller cleaning, maintenance of various tanks, and inspection of onboard equipment.

“This MRO contract is highly significant as it marks the first contract following the Government’s proposal of the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation initiative, MASGA. As Korea’s leading shipbuilder, we will spare no effort in successfully completing the MRO for the U.S. Navy’s auxiliary ship,” Joo Won-ho, Head of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Naval & Special Ship Business Unit, said.

Upon completion, the vessel is scheduled to be delivered to the US Navy in November 2025.

This year, HD Hyundai has advanced multiple initiatives to reinforce Korea-US cooperation in shipbuilding further.

In April, the company signed a strategic partnership agreement with Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the largest defense shipbuilder in the United States, for technological cooperation and joint construction in the naval ship sector.

In June, the company launched a strategic collaboration with US shipbuilding group Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) in the commercial ship sector. Later that month, HD Hyundai hosted the Korea-US Shipbuilding Leaders Forum, bringing together over forty US shipbuilding and marine engineering specialists from institutions such as the University of Michigan and MIT.