Hanwha Ocean Completes First Overhaul Project for US MSC Cargo Ship
Hanwha Ocean completed an extensive overhaul and repair project on the USNS Wally Schirra marking the first time a South Korean shipyard has undertaken a major refit of a U.S. government vessel. Officials are hailing it as a key step in deepening the relationship as the South Korean industry looks to realize more opportunities under Donald Trump’s plan to enhance the U.S. Navy.
The 40,000 displace ton vessel, which is part of the Military Sealift Command’s Lewis and Clark dry cargo class, spent approximately six months at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard plant for overhaul maintenance work on the hull and machinery. The project as specified included major equipment inspections and replacement and systems upgrades.
The shipyard also reports during its inspection it identified additional steps to improve the vessel’s operations and it was successful in obtaining a revised contract from the U.S. Navy. MSC reports that during the dry docking, more than 300 work items were addressed including hull corrosion and a full rudder replacement. The vessel departed South Korea on March 12.
“Hanwha addressed extensive deterioration and damage to the hull, propeller, rudder, and rudder post/steering gear,” said Cmdr. Patrick J. Moore, commanding officer, MSC Office-Korea. “Notably, Hanwha engineers reverse-engineered the damaged rudder, completely replacing the unit when blueprints were not available. This saved significant time and resources in getting Wally Schirra back to sea, a testament to their resilient supply chains, advanced automations, and skilled workforce.”
The project was conducted under the U.S. Navy’s ship maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) program. Hanwha signed a contract with the U.S. Navy in July 2024 after completing the certification process to become the second South Korean shipyard authorized to bid for contracts. HD Hyundai was also authorized last year and reports it plans to start bidding for contracts in 2025. South Korea’s HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, the renamed former Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction, has also according to media reports formed a team to complete the qualification process to enter the MRO program.
US MSC officials note that normal voyage repairs are routinely conducted in Korea but this is the first time the much larger work has been performed. The South Koreans report the market is valued at approximately $8 billion and is growing steadily.
Hanwha Ocean currently has a second project underway, the overhaul of the refueling vessel USNS Yukon which arrived at the yard in November. Hanwha Ocean said that it is also involving small and medium-sized shipbuilding companies in the Geoje area as subcontractors to share the economic benefits with the broader industry. The shipyard says it is targeting five to six MRO contracts for 2025 and looks to further expand its overseas MRO business.