On January 7, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries announced it had secured a second maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) contract from the U.S. Navy to perform scheduled maintenance on the 41,000-ton Class Logistics Support Ship USS Cesar Chavez.
Prior to announcing its second MRO contract, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries had just completed its first U.S. Navy ship maintenance project—the USS Alan Shepard commenced its overhaul in August 2025 and departed the shipyard on January 6, 2026, following completion of repairs.
According to the contract, the “Cesar Chavez” will commence repair work at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Ulsan Shipyard on January 19, with the project expected to last until March this year. The scope of work includes approximately 100 items covering the hull, propulsion system, electrical systems, and auxiliary systems.
An HD Hyundai Heavy Industries official stated: “With the establishment of the Naval and Specialized Vessels Division, the company will further strengthen its capabilities to lead the MRO business for U.S. Navy vessels.”
Currently, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has prioritized defense operations as a key development objective. Subsequently, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Mipo completed their merger on December 1, 2025. The two entities will integrate their shipbuilding technologies, expertise, dockyard facilities, and personnel resources to comprehensively enhance their MRO capabilities.