Korea is "determined" to make the US "build great", dedicatedly building warships for the US in order to gain benefits from tariff issues.
According to Reuters, South Korean and US shipyards are advancing plans to jointly build the next-generation supply ships for the US Navy. When Huntington Ingalls, the largest defense shipbuilder in the US, received the order for the US Navy's next-generation supply ship project, HD Hyundai participated as a design and construction partner. With the MASGA project, which aims to revitalize the US shipbuilding industry through South Korea-US cooperation, it is being closely watched whether there will be cases of joint construction in the supply ship field between the two countries.
HD Hyundai announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Huntington Ingalls for "commercial ship and warship design and construction cooperation." On the 24th, at the Gyeongju venue of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, the CEO of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Special Ships Division, Ju Won-ho, and Eric Tuning, Executive Vice President of Strategic Development at Huntington Ingalls, attended the signing ceremony.
Currently, the US Navy is pushing for the introduction of the next-generation supply ships, which are more maneuverable and more efficient than the current ones. Recently, the bidding for conceptual design has ended, and if Huntington Ingalls is selected as the concept designer of this supply ship, HD Hyundai will also participate in the design and construction. An HD Hyundai official said: "This bid is not only at the stage of showcasing ship concepts, but also at the stage of showcasing the technology used in the ships. It is expected to start construction after 2028."
During the joint construction period of the two companies, they will discuss how to transport Korean-made ship block modules to the US and assemble them at Huntington Ingalls' shipyard. They will supply blocks and main materials manufactured by HD Hyundai in Ulsan to Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia and Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi. This is because the United States' Burns-Trainson Amendment prohibits foreign shipyards from manufacturing ships, hulls, and major components for the US Navy.
If the project proceeds, it is expected that the South Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation will go beyond maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), entering the phase of joint construction. In terms of current MRO projects, Hanwha Ocean retains two supply ships belonging to the US Pacific Fleet's 7th Fleet, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries retains the supply ship "Alan Shepard."
HD Hyundai will jointly invest in acquiring US shipbuilding facilities with Huntington Ingalls, and also consider establishing a specialized engineering joint venture for ship design. Ju Won-ho, CEO of HD Hyundai's Special Ships Division, said: "This collaboration is a practical model of South Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation where both countries jointly participate in the US Navy's procurement projects."
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847135984362624/
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