HD Hyundai Partners with Top U.S. Defense Shipbuilder in ‘Naval Alliance’

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  • HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Huntington Ingalls Industries formalized a partnership at ‘SAS 2025’ in Washington D.C.

– The agreement focuses on improving shipbuilding efficiency, optimizing costs and timelines, and advancing shipyard digitization.

  • This collaboration between leading shipbuilders from South Korea and the United States is anticipated to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
  • Huntington Ingalls Industries highlighted the agreement as “A pivotal first step in fostering collaboration between allied nations to strengthen shipbuilding capabilities.”

SEOUL, South Korea, April 7, 2025 — HD Hyundai is expanding its presence in the U.S. market by forming a strategic shipbuilding alliance with Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), America’s largest defense shipbuilder.

Brian Blanchette(left), President of Ingalls Shipbuilding, and Joo Wonho(right), Chief Executive of the Naval and Special Ship at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Huntington Ingalls Industries booth during the Sea Air Space 2025 (SAS 2025) exhibition in Washington, D.C. on Monday, April 7th.

HD Hyundai announced on April 7th (local time) that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Huntington Ingalls Industries to boost shipbuilding productivity and promote advanced technological cooperation.

The signing took place at the Huntington Ingalls Industries booth at the Sea Air Space 2025 (SAS 2025) exhibition in Washington, D.C. The event included Joo Wonho, Chief Executive of the Naval and Special Ship at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Brian Blanchette, President of Ingalls Shipbuilding.

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division, located in southern Mississippi, is the largest U.S. shipyard for surface combat vessels. It builds two-thirds of the U.S. Navy’s recently commissioned Aegis destroyers, as well as all large amphibious assault ships and national security cutters.

According to the MOU, the two companies will combine their warship construction expertise to improve shipbuilding efficiency. The collaboration will also focus on sharing optimal strategies for reducing construction costs and improving delivery times.

The partnership also aims to accelerate the integration of process automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) in developing digital shipyards, as well as workforce strategy and component outsourcing. The companies are also exploring potential joint investment opportunities to support these objectives.

This MOU is particularly notable as the first partnership between leading shipbuilding companies from Korea and the U.S., both capable of building the world’s most sophisticated Aegis ships. The partnership is expected to be a crucial factor in strengthening the shipbuilding alliance and building greater trust between the two nations.

Joo Wonho, Chief Executive of the Naval and Special Ship at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, stated, “By working together with leading shipbuilding companies from our allied nations, we intend to improve the shipbuilding capabilities of both countries and contribute to strengthening bilateral security cooperation.”

Brian Blanchette, President of Ingalls Shipbuilding, commented that “This agreement is an important first step in improving shipbuilding capabilities through collaboration between allied countries. By combining our knowledge, we will significantly contribute to building high-quality ships that support global national security.”

(PRNewsfoto/HD Hyundai)

SOURCE HD Hyundai

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