HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured its first maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) contract for a U.S. Navy vessel, marking a milestone for the South Korean shipbuilder.
The company announced Wednesday that it will service the USNS Alan Shepard, a 41,000-ton Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship assigned to the U.S. Seventh Fleet.
Work is scheduled to begin in September at Hyundai’s Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan, with redelivery expected in November. The 2007-commissioned vessel will undergo propeller cleaning, tank inspections, and system diagnostics as part of the overhaul.
The deal marks the first U.S. Navy MRO award to a Korean shipbuilder under Seoul’s $150 billion “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again” (MASGA) initiative.
Hyundai now joins fellow South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean in expanding the country’s role in U.S. naval maintenance. Hanwha has secured three MRO contracts with the U.S. Navy since 2024, including recent work on the USNS Charles Drew in July, though those agreements were not part of the MASGA program.
“This MRO award is the first since the MASGA proposal, and it carries strong meaning,” said Joo Won-ho, head of HD Hyundai’s Special Ship Division. “We will complete the U.S. Navy logistics support vessel project to the highest standard.”
