HD Hyundai Heavy Industries wins US Navy repair contract for USNS Alan Shepard

South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured a maintenance, repair and overhaul contract for the US-flagged dry cargo vessel USNS Alan Shepard, highlighting growing cooperation between the US Navy and allied shipyards in the Indo-Pacific.
The Lewis and Clark-class logistics vessel will undergo overhaul work at the company’s facilities in Ulsan, South Korea, beginning in September, with redelivery to the US Navy scheduled for November. Planned works include propeller cleaning, tank maintenance and inspection of onboard equipment.
HD Hyundai said the contract was significant as it followed the South Korean Government’s proposal for expanded bilateral shipbuilding cooperation with the USA under the ‘Make American Shipbuilding Great Again’ initiative. The proposed programme would involve up to USD 150 billion (EUR 138.48 billion) in collaboration led by South Korean shipbuilders to strengthen US shipbuilding capacity through yard investment, workforce training and maintenance support.
The award also reflects a broader shift towards allied support for US naval maintenance as the service seeks to address shipyard capacity constraints and repair backlogs.
South Korean yards have already begun undertaking similar projects. Hanwha Ocean recently completed overhaul works on the US-flagged USNS Wally Schirra, another Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo vessel, while other repair activity has included work on the replenishment oiler USNS Yukon.
US officials said leveraging allied shipyard capacity supports fleet readiness in the Indo-Pacific while easing pressure on domestic repair facilities.