HD Hyundai Heavy another US Navy ship repair contract

SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured another maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) contract from the U.S. Navy, this time for a logistics support vessel assigned to the Navy’s 7th Fleet.

The company said on Wednesday it recently won a regular overhaul project for the 41,000-ton cargo ship USNS Cesar Chavez, which was commissioned in 2012, without revealing the value of the contract.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said it will begin work on Jan. 19 at a pier in Ulsan. The overhaul will cover more than 100 items, including repairs to the hull and structures, propulsion systems, electrical equipment and auxiliary machinery. The company plans to complete the work and deliver the vessel to the U.S. Navy in March.

The contract follows the company’s completion of MRO work on the USNS Alan Shepard, its first U.S. Navy ship overhaul project, which was awarded in August. The Alan Shepard departed earlier this week after undergoing repairs.

HD Hyundai Heavy said the initial Alan Shepard contract covered about 60 repair items, but the scope expanded significantly after an additional 100 items were identified during the overhaul process, extending the work schedule and substantially increasing the contract value.

Ju Won-ho, president of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, said the company’s successful completion of its first U.S. Navy MRO project demonstrated its technological capabilities and operational expertise.

"We plan to further strengthen efficiency and capacity to expand its presence in the U.S. naval ship MRO market," he said.