The agreement, signed by Joo Won-ho, President of HHI’s Naval & Special Ship Business Unit, and Eric Chewning, Executive Vice President of Maritime Systems and Corporate Strategy at HII, aims to advance joint efforts in distributed shipbuilding, defense logistics, and advanced ship construction technologies.
Chewning highlighted the agreement represents “the beginning of greater cooperation between not only our companies, but our countries,” citing its potential to strengthen the U.S. industrial base for shipbuilding. “We look to transforming the U.S. shipbuilding sector through shared investment and joint innovation,” he added.
The two companies under the memorandum of agreement agreed to cooperate on several strategic avenues, such as joint investments to improve the U.S. shipbuilding base, strategic teaming in the Navy auxiliary ship programs, research and development on automation and artificial intelligence, and enhanced lifecycle support for U.S. Navy ships in the Indo-Pacific area.
The partnership has already shown early signs of progress. In early October, HII and HHI agreed to jointly pursue the U.S. Navy’s Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) concept design contract, combining HII’s complex shipbuilding expertise with HHI’s proven auxiliary vessel designs in service with the Royal New Zealand and South Korean navies.
HHI President Joo Won-ho said the tie-up is a “milestone towards fuller strategic collaboration,” citing Korea’s advanced shipbuilding technology and the competitive edge of the U.S. defense sector as forces for synergy.
In April 2025, the two companies signed an MOU to share best practices to improve cost efficiency and shorten construction schedules. In early October, HHI’s Naval & Special Ship Business Unit visited HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding facility in Mississippi to strengthen collaboration and support future shipbuilding initiatives.
HHI reportedly obtained a maintenance contract in September for the U.S. Navy’s auxiliary dry cargo and ammunition ship, USNS Alan Shepard, which improved cooperation between the U.S. Navy and the company in the shipbuilding business.
As part of the APEC CEO Summit Korea 2025, Eric Chewning will present on “Strategic Collaboration Between the U.S. and Korea in Shipbuilding” at the Future Tech Forum hosted by HD Hyundai.
