HII (HII) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) at the APEC 2025 forum to advance shipbuilding collaboration between the United States and the Republic of Korea.
The agreement marks a new phase of strategic cooperation aimed at transforming the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base. The companies will work jointly with both governments and customers to accelerate throughput in American shipyards and support long-term innovation in military and commercial shipbuilding.
The memorandum of agreement (MOA) outlines four strategic priorities aimed at deepening collaboration between HII and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. First, the companies will work to strengthen the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base through joint investments in distributed and flexible ship construction. Second, they plan to pursue strategic teaming opportunities for Navy auxiliary shipbuilding programs, leveraging their combined expertise. Third, the partnership will focus on engineering, research and development, and the implementation of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation. Finally, the agreement emphasizes enhancing lifecycle support for U.S. Navy vessels operating in the Indo-Pacific region, reinforcing long-term maritime readiness and regional stability.
In early October, HII and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries agreed to jointly pursue the U.S. Navy's next-generation logistics ship (NGLS) design contract. The partnership will leverage HII's complex shipbuilding experience and HHI's proven designs used by the Royal New Zealand and South Korean navies.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries brings a strong legacy in auxiliary shipbuilding, having delivered vessels such as HMNZS Endeavour and HMNZS Aotearoa to New Zealand, as well as multiple ships to the Republic of Korea Navy.
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