HD Hyundai wins first US Navy MRO contract
Attention from the US Navy will bolster Korea’s yards against Chinese competition (Source: HD Hyundai HI)
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured its first US Navy maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) assignment, covering work on the 41,000 tonnes Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo vessel USNS Alan Shepard. The ship, commissioned in 2007 and assigned to the US 7th Fleet, supports vertical replenishment during deployments.
The contract follows HD Hyundai’s certification and signing of a Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) with US military authorities in July 2024. Maintenance will be carried out at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan from September, with work including propeller cleaning, tank inspections and equipment checks. Delivery back to the Navy is scheduled for November.
It is the second Lewis and Clark-class vessel to undergo overhaul in Korea, following Hanwha Ocean’s 2023 refit of USNS Wally Schirra. Hanwha has since taken on work for USNS Yukon and USNS Charles Drew.
The US military spends more than USD 14 billion annually on MRO contracts, with Korean yards competing against Japanese and Singaporean facilities. Both Hyundai and Hanwha completed US repair certification in 2024, while mid-sized builder HJ Heavy Industries is preparing to enter the market. Hyundai aims to target two to three US contracts annually.
