US Navy Logistics Ship Arrives in Korea for Maintenance at Hyundai Yard

 

The first U.S. Military Sealift Command support ship has arrived at the HD Hyundai shipyard in South Korea for maintenance. It is the first U.S. MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) assignment for Korea’s largest shipbuilder and part of its strategy to expand repair work and to support the United States.

Hyundai Heavy Industries reported in August that it had won the repair assignment for the USNS Alan Shepard, a 41,000-ton displacement Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship that entered service in 2007. It is currently assigned to the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet for replenishment.

Hyundai reports the vessel recently arrived at the Yeompo Pier near HD Hyundai Mipo in Ulsan, and starting today, September 30, the maintenance work is fully kicking off. They report the project entails propeller cleaning, various tank maintenance, and safety and equipment inspections. The ship is scheduled to be delivered back to the MSC at the end of the year.

The shipbuilder had reported last year that it qualified for MRO contracts and had entered into agreements permitting it to bid for contracts. However, the yards were busy with construction work, and Hyundai reportedly lost the bidding for a prior contract. Competitor Hanwha Ocean won two MRO contracts in 2024 and reported a third this year.

HD Hyundai said the arrival of Alan Shepard marked the start of its full-scale maintenance and repair operations. It looks to grow this segment and noted that after the planned merger between HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Mipo that it looks to expand its international business. The company highlights that it has been providing MRO services to the Philippines since 2022 as part of a contract to build patrol ships for the Philippine Navy. 

The company also looks to take a leadership role in Korea’s Make American Shipbuilding Great Again program. It has already announced partnership agreements with Huntington Ingalls (HII), and for commercial shipbuilding, it will be working with ECO Edison Chouest Offshore. The company has also said it was exploring the possibilities of acquiring a shipyard in the United States.