HD Hyundai Forms 'Naval Alliance' with the Largest U.S. Defense Shipbuilder

• HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Huntington Ingalls Industries signed MOU at 'SAS 2025' in Washington D.C.

- The MOU outlines collaboration to improve shipbuilding productivity, optimize costs and delivery times, and enhance shipyards digitization

• The partnership between leading shipbuilding companies from South Korea and the United States is expected to serve as a catalyst for reinforcing bilateral relations

• Huntington Ingalls Industries emphasized that the signing marks "A pivotal first step in fostering collaboration between allied nations to strengthen shipbuilding capabilities."

SEOUL, South Korea, April 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HD Hyundai is accelerating its expansion into the U.S. market through the formation of a strategic shipbuilding partnership with Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the largest defense shipbuilding company in the U.S.

On April 7th (local time), HD Hyundai announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Huntington Ingalls Industries to improve shipbuilding productivity and foster advanced technological cooperation.

The signing ceremony took place at the Huntington Ingalls Industries booth during the Sea Air Space 2025 (SAS 2025) exhibition in Washington, D.C. The ceremony was attended by 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 operates Ingalls Shipbuilding, the largest shipyard for surface combatants in the U.S., located in southern Mississippi. This shipyard is responsible for the construction of two-thirds of the U.S. Navy's recently ordered Aegis destroyers, as well as the entire fleet of large amphibious assault ships and national security cutters.

Under the terms of the MOU, both companies will combine their expertise in warship construction to optimize shipbuilding productivity. The collaboration will also focus on sharing best practices to reduce construction costs and optimize delivery times.

This partnership further aims to advance the integration of process automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) in the development of digital shipyards, alongside workforce strategy and components outsourcing. In line with these goals, both parties are also exploring opportunities for future joint investments.

This MOU is particularly significant as it marks the first collaboration between two leading shipbuilding companies from Korea and the U.S., both of which have the capability to construct the world's most advanced Aegis ships. The partnership is expected to act as a key catalyst in strengthening the shipbuilding alliance and fostering greater trust between the two countries.

Joo Wonho, Chief Executive of the Naval and Special Ship at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, remarked that "By collaborating with the representative shipbuilding companies of our allied nations, we aim to enhance the shipbuilding capacities and capabilities of both nations and, furthermore to contribute to the strengthening of bilateral security cooperation."

Brian Blanchette, President of Ingalls Shipbuilding, stated that "This agreement marks a pivotal first step in enhancing shipbuilding capabilities through cooperation between allied nations. By combining our expertise, we will make a meaningful contribution to the construction of high-quality ships that will support the global national security."

SOURCE HD Hyundai