Within the framework of the APEC forum in Gyeongju (South Korea), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to collaborate on the design and construction of the U.S. Navy’s future logistics ships. The pact marks the first time a South Korean shipyard participates in a U.S. military shipbuilding program, representing a milestone in industrial cooperation between the two countries.
The agreement is part of the “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again” (MASGA) initiative, promoted by Washington to revitalize its naval industrial base. It also expands the previous collaboration between the two companies, which had already worked together on maintenance contracts for the USNS Alan Shepard and on the exchange of best practices to reduce costs and accelerate construction timelines. In this regard, in October, HHI technical teams visited HII’s Ingalls Shipyard in Mississippi to coordinate integration processes.
HHI brings its expertise in logistics vessels, having built units such as the HMNZS Aotearoa for New Zealand and the replenishment ships Cheonji and Soyang for the Republic of Korea Navy. HII, for its part, is the largest military shipbuilder in the United States, responsible for the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
The NGLS program (under which this agreement falls) is key to the U.S. Navy’s goal of expanding its fleet from 296 to 381 ships by 2054. Logistics ships are essential for sustaining long-term operations by providing fuel, ammunition, and supplies to combat groups in deployment areas. The partnership between HHI and HII not only opens the door to a market estimated at $30 billion annually but also strengthens the strategic cooperation between South Korea and the United States amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
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