Following South Korea’s three major shipbuilding giants—HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and Samsung Heavy Industries—HJ Heavy Industries has become the latest South Korean shipbuilder to enter the U.S. Navy’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) market for naval vessels.
On December 15, HJ Heavy Industries announced it has signed an agreement with the U.S. Navy’s Naval Supply Command (NAVSUP) and Military Sealift Command (MSC) to provide mid-term availability services for the 40,000-ton naval support vessel USNS Amelia Earhart.
As early as April this year, reports indicated that HJ Heavy Industries would sign a Maintenance Support Services Agreement (MSRA) with the U.S. Navy. The MSRA is an agreement between the U.S. government and private shipyards, serving as a prerequisite for shipyards to participate in MRO services for U.S. naval vessels.
HJ Heavy Industries stated that the USS Amelia Earhart is a logistics support vessel designed to replenish ammunition, food, supplies, and fuel for U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and combat ships. Measuring 210 meters in length and 32 meters in beam, it can reach a maximum speed of 20 knots and carry up to 6,000 tons of military supplies and 2,400 tons of fuel. The vessel entered service in 2008.
Under the contract, HJ Heavy Industries’ maintenance work is essential to sustain the combat readiness of the Amelia Earhart. This includes inspection and repair of the hull and major systems, replacement of components and coating work. The relevant maintenance project is scheduled to commence in January 2026 at HJ Heavy Industries’ Yeongdo Shipyard in Busan, with completion and delivery expected by the end of March 2026.
With its first contract secured, HJ Heavy Industries has become the latest South Korean shipbuilder to enter the U.S. naval MRO market, joining Hanwha Ocean HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Samsung Heavy Industries.
South Korean shipbuilders are racing to establish a presence in the U.S. naval MRO market, with a significant influx of ship orders anticipated in the future. This surge stems from the U.S. plan to expand its fleet from the current 296 vessels to 381 by 2054, requiring an estimated annual investment of approximately $30 billion. As the number of aging vessels increases, the MRO market also holds considerable promise, with the U.S. Navy spending between $6 billion and $7.4 billion annually in this sector.
It is understood that since becoming South Korea’s first marine defense enterprise in 1974, HJ Heavy Industries has participated in the construction and maintenance of over 1,200 vessels. The company possesses strengths in building large-scale ships such as transport vessels and landing craft, as well as specialized craft including missile boats, next-generation high-speed craft and patrol vessels. In the MRO sector, it has demonstrated its technical capabilities by extending the service life and enhancing operational efficiency of vessels through retrofitting projects.
In light of this, HJ Heavy Industries will begin expanding into overseas MRO markets starting in 2024. The company plans to leverage this opportunity to accelerate its growth in U.S. Navy MRO services, thereby accelerating its entry into the global defense maintenance market.