Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) today to explore potential collaboration on accelerating ship production for both defense and commercial markets.
The agreement was formalized during the Sea-Air-Space Expo at National Harbor, Md., and signed by Brian Blanchette, executive vice president and president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, and Won-ho Joo, chief executive of the naval and special ship business unit at HHI.
According to both companies, the MOU is intended to leverage shared expertise and resources to improve production efficiency, advance innovation in ship design and construction, and strengthen the defense industrial base in both the U.S. and South Korea.
“Today’s agreement reflects our commitment to explore all opportunities to expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity in support of national security,” Blanchette said. “By working with our shipbuilding allies and sharing best practices, we believe this MOU offers real potential to help accelerate delivery of quality ships.”
Joo noted that the partnership is intended to deepen technical collaboration and identify new ways to provide value to customers. “This partnership marks a new milestone for both of our companies and provides us with the unique opportunity to expand our expertise in shipbuilding,” he said.
The agreement comes amid increased attention to the capacity and resilience of the global maritime industrial base, particularly as the Navy and allied forces focus on fleet modernization and readiness.
