HJSC secures first U.S. Navy MRO contract

HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (HJSC), one of South Korea’s leading defense shipbuilders, has secured its first maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) contract with the United States Navy, marking a significant step in the company’s expansion into the U.S. naval sustainment market.

The company announced on December 15 that it had signed a mid-term availability (MTA) contract with the U.S. Navy’s Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) and the Military Sealift Command (MSC) for the dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Amelia Earhart.

Moreover, the agreement covers a range of maintenance, repair, overhaul and improvement work required to maintain the vessel’s operational readiness.

Commissioned in 2008, the USNS Amelia Earhart is a 40,000-ton logistics support vessel that supplies ammunition, food, cargo and fuel to U.S. Navy assets, including aircraft carriers and frontline combat ships.

The vessel can carry up to 6,000 tons of cargo and 2,400 tons of fuel. It measures 210 meters in length with a beam of 32 meters and has a maximum speed of 20 knots, or approximately 37 kilometers per hour.

The ship is named after Amelia Earhart, the American aviation pioneer and women’s rights icon.

The contract is widely viewed as a strategic foothold for HJSC in the U.S. Navy MRO market, a sector known for its strict regulatory requirements and high technical barriers.

Naval MRO services span the full life cycle of a vessel and are considered a high value-added segment of the global defense industry, offering stable long-term demand for qualified contractors.

The agreement comes as defense cooperation between South Korea and the United States continues to expand under initiatives such as the MASGA project and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Regional Sustainment Framework.

These programs are increasing opportunities for allied companies to participate in sustainment and logistics operations across the Indo-Pacific region.

HJSC has been preparing for overseas MRO expansion since 2024, building on decades of experience in special-purpose naval shipbuilding and maintenance. Designated South Korea’s first marine defense contractor in 1974, the company has delivered and supported more than 1,200 naval vessels and military logistics systems.

As part of its MRO qualification process, HJSC’s Yeongdo Shipyard in Busan has hosted several high-level U.S. delegations this year.

Visitors included the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea, NAVSUP inspection teams and a Deputy Assistant Secretary from the U.S. Department of Commerce, who assessed the shipyard’s facilities, equipment, security standards and technical capabilities.

“This contract represents international recognition of our core MRO capabilities, including technical expertise, maintenance proficiency and contract execution capacity,” said Yoo Sang-cheol, CEO, HJ Shipbuilding & Construction. “Drawing on more than five decades of experience as a specialized naval defense shipbuilder, we will meet the U.S. Navy’s requirements for quality and delivery and build long-term trust.”

Following contract execution, HJSC will begin full-scale maintenance work in January at its Yeongdo Shipyard. The project includes hull and major system inspections, repairs, component replacements and painting. The vessel is scheduled to be redelivered to the U.S. Navy by the end of March next year.

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