Hanwha Ocean, led by Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, has set a new milestone in South Korea's shipbuilding industry. It is the first domestic shipbuilder to complete the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of U.S. Navy vessels.

On the 13th, Hanwha Ocean announced that the U.S. Navy's logistics support ship, the USS William R. Shirah, had completed its maintenance and departed. The industry views this achievement as a historic moment that elevates South Korea-U.S. maritime defense cooperation to a new level.

The MRO work was carried out at the Geoje facility over a period of six months and included hull and engine maintenance, inspection and replacement of key equipment, and system upgrades. During the process, Hanwha Ocean identified new maintenance requirements for the vessel that were not recognized at the time of the initial contract, demonstrating its technical expertise. As a result, sales also increased.

After signing the U.S. Navy Ship Maintenance Agreement (MSRA) in July last year, Hanwha Ocean won the first project to carry out the MRO for the USS William R. Shirah. Additionally, in November last year, the company secured the contract to repair the USS Yukon, an oiler assigned to the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet. The maintenance work for the Yukon is being carried out in cooperation with small and medium-sized shipbuilders in the Geoje region.

Hanwha Ocean plans to highlight South Korean shipyards as a key hub in the global naval MRO market, leveraging the successful maintenance project of the USS William R. Shirah. The company intends to expand its MRO business to the U.S., Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The global naval MRO market is valued at approximately $8 billion (11.63 trillion KRW).

Hanwha Ocean aims to secure the MRO business for 5 to 6 U.S. Navy vessels this year and plans to further expand its overseas MRO business. In January, Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan attended the inauguration of President Trump in Washington, D.C., where he met with key U.S. defense and security officials to introduce Hanwha Ocean’s business capabilities and explore opportunities for projects in the U.S.

Patrick Moore, U.S. Navy Maritime Transportation Command’s Korea-based commander, stated, "This is evidence of the close cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea, and we expect many opportunities to further strengthen this collaborative relationship in the future."

Kim Dae-sik, Executive Director of Hanwha Ocean's Special Ship MRO Business Task Force (TFT), remarked, "Through the success of this MRO project, we have once again proven the technological expertise and reliability of South Korea’s shipbuilding industry to the world."

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