HII, HD Hyundai ink deal to advance next-generation naval programs
US-based Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to advance strategic cooperation in shipbuilding, marking a new phase in industrial collaboration between the two nations.
The signing took place during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2025 forum in Gyeongju and was attended by Joo Won-ho, president of HHI’s Naval & Special Ship Business Unit, and Eric Chewning, HII’s executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy.
“This marks the beginning of deeper collaboration between not only our companies, but each of our countries, that will support enduring changes to military and commercial shipbuilding in America,” said Chewning.
“We look forward to working collaboratively with HHI, the U.S. and South Korean governments, and with our customers to transform the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base and enable accelerated throughput in our shipyards.”
Under the newly signed MOA, HII and HHI will expand their partnership across four key areas:
- Strengthening and expanding the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base through potential joint investments in distributed shipbuilding and flexible construction.
- Pursuing teaming opportunities for U.S. Navy auxiliary shipbuilding programs, leveraging both companies’ expertise.
- Collaborating on engineering, R&D, and technology implementation, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and automation.
- Enhancing lifecycle support for U.S. Navy operations in the Indo-Pacific region.
The agreement builds on earlier cooperation between the two shipbuilders. In early October, HII and HHI agreed to jointly pursue the U.S. Navy’s next-generation logistics ship (NGLS) design contract. The partnership combines HII’s experience in complex naval shipbuilding with HHI’s auxiliary vessel designs currently in service with the Royal New Zealand and the Republic of Korea navies.
HHI has decades of experience in the auxiliary ship segment, having delivered vessels such as HMNZS Endeavour in 1987 and HMNZS Aotearoa in 2020 to the Royal New Zealand Navy. The company has also supplied the Republic of Korea Navy with several auxiliary ships, including three Cheonji-class and one Soyang-class vessels.
The agreement follows a series of collaborative efforts between the two shipbuilders in 2025. In April, HHI and HII signed an MOU to share best practices aimed at improving cost efficiency and reducing construction schedules.
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