Busan: HJ Shipbuilding and Construction Co., a mid-sized South Korean shipbuilder, announced on Monday that it has secured a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) contract for a U.S. Navy logistics vessel. The contract involves the 40,000-ton USNS Amelia Earhart, a 210-meter-long vessel responsible for supplying up to 6,000 tons of ammunition, food, and cargo, along with 2,400 tons of fuel, to U.S. aircraft carriers and other warships.

According to Yonhap News Agency, this contract represents a significant step in the growing cooperation in the shipbuilding sector between South Korea and the United States. This collaboration is part of the Seoul-Washington initiative aimed at revitalizing the U.S. shipbuilding industry under the slogan "Make American Shipbuilding Great Again" (MASGA). HJ Shipbuilding, recognized as South Korea's first naval defense contractor since 1974, has a history of building or servicing over 1,200 naval and logistics vessels.

Senior U.S. officials, including the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea, recently visited HJ Shipbuilding's Busan shipyard, providing favorable assessments of the company's facilities. The company is set to begin work on the vessel in January at its Yeongdo shipyard in Busan. The work will include inspections, repairs, component replacements, and painting, with plans to deliver the vessel to the U.S. Navy by the end of March.

HJ Shipbuilding CEO Yoo Sang-cheol expressed pride in the contract, stating, "We are proud that this contract recognizes our capabilities, technical expertise, and execution capacity in MRO operations."