[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] HD Hyundai is speeding up its entry into the U.S. market by entering into shipbuilding business cooperation with Huntington Ingalls Industries, the largest defense shipbuilding company in the U.S.

HD Hyundai announced on the 7th (local time) that it signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in improving ship productivity and advanced shipbuilding technology' with Huntington Ingalls.

The signing ceremony took place at the Huntington Ingalls exhibition hall in the Sea Air Space 2025 (SAS 2025) held in Washington D.C., USA, and was attended by Won-ho Joo, head of the special ship business at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Brian Blanchette, president of Ingalls Shipyard.

Huntington Ingalls operates the Ingalls Shipbuilding Company, the largest surface shipyard in the United States, in Mississippi, where it builds all of the U.S. Navy's large amphibious assault ships and large patrol ships, including two-thirds of the Aegis destroyers recently ordered.

According to the MOU signed that day, the two companies agreed to combine their respective expertise and capabilities in shipbuilding to maximize the production efficiency of shipbuilding, while sharing know-how and capabilities to improve shipbuilding costs and delivery times.

In addition, the company plans to promote process automation, robots, and artificial intelligence (AI) for building a digital shipyard, as well as training production personnel and participation in the equipment supply chain. In addition, it was decided to review cooperation for future joint investments.

In particular, this MOU signing is the first case of cooperation between leading Korean and American shipbuilding companies with the capabilities to build the highest-spec Aegis ships, and is expected to be an important milestone in strengthening the partnership and trust in the shipbuilding industries of the two countries.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Special Ship Business Division Director Won-ho Joo said, “We expect that cooperation between the representative shipbuilding companies of Korea and the U.S., who are blood allies, will not only develop the shipbuilding industries of both countries, but also greatly contribute to strengthening security cooperation between the two countries.”

“Today’s agreement is an important first step toward strengthening our shipbuilding capabilities through collaboration between our allies,” said Brian Blanchette, president and CEO of Ingalls Shipbuilding. “By combining our expertise, we will be able to build high-quality ships that support the maritime security of both countries.”

In addition, HD Hyundai signed an MOU with the American ABS Register for design certification of a light military support ship for the US Navy at this marine and aerospace exhibition, and signed an MOU with Fairbanks Morse Defense, a leading US defense equipment company, for cooperation in the local supply chain in the US.

In addition, the HD Hyundai Shipbuilding Technology Research Institute is also discussing joint research and development plans with the Office of Naval Research in the shipbuilding field, including the design of next-generation advanced ships, and is accelerating its entry into the U.S. shipbuilding market.