Korean Register of Shipping (KR) recently announced that it has been awarded a contract for the “Quality Inspection Technical Services for Base-Level Maintenance of Outsourced Large Transport Vessels (LPH-I)” by the Republic of Korea Navy Logistics Command, marking its official entry into the quality inspection field of the South Korean Navy’s ship MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) projects.
LPH-I is the official project code used by the Republic of Korea Navy for the Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships, with the ROKS Dokdo (LPH-6111) being the lead ship of this class.
This service is part of the Republic of Korea Navy’s ship MRO pilot project. With ship designs and systems becoming increasingly complex, the Republic of Korea Navy plans to upgrade its maintenance quality management system by introducing the technical capabilities of civilian professional institutions, while also improving maintenance efficiency and reliability.
It is worth noting that this is the first time that a civilian certified testing agency has participated in the maintenance quality inspection of South Korean Navy surface ships, and it is expected to become an opportunity for the formal establishment of a military-civilian technology cooperation system.
KR, with its accumulated expertise in quality inspection and certification in the field of shipbuilding and offshore engineering, has been responsible for the regular maintenance quality inspection of South Korean Navy submarines since 2021. Through this project, the scope of its business will be expanded from submarines to surface ships.
This technical service targets the large transport ships “Dokdo-class” and covers various quality inspection operations carried out at the shipyard, including: inspections during equipment disassembly, maintenance and installation; verification of material standards compliance; and trial operation inspections. KR plans to utilize its independently developed ship inspection management system (NAVES Portal – MRO Platform) throughout the process to ensure more systematic and efficient quality management.
KR officials said, “This project is an important first step for KR to formally enter the naval ship MRO field, and is expected to lay the foundation for our future expansion into the export MRO business. We will continue to actively expand our technical support and quality inspection services to continuously improve the reliability and quality of ship maintenance.”