Huntington Ingalls, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Form Shipbuilding Alliance

U.S.-based military shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) today to explore opportunities to collaborate on accelerating ship production in support of defense and commercial shipbuilding projects.

This strategic partnership aims to leverage the combined expertise and resources of both companies to advance technological innovation, maximize production efficiency, and strengthen the global defense industry.

The efforts applied under the MoU aim to increase the collective maritime industrial base strength of both the U.S. and South Korea.

The signing ceremony took place in Huntington Ingalls’ booth at Sea Air Space, the largest global maritime expo in North America, and was attended by HII Executive Vice President and President of Ingalls Shipbuilding Brian Blanchette and Won-ho Joo, chief executive of the naval & special ship business unit at HHI.

“Today’s agreement reflects our commitment to explore all opportunities to expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity in support of national security. By working with our shipbuilding allies and sharing best practices, we believe this MoU offers real potential to help accelerate delivery of quality ships,” said Brian Blanchette, Executive Vice President and President at Huntington Ingalls.

“This partnership marks a new milestone for both of our companies and provides us with the unique opportunity to expand our expertise in shipbuilding,” Won-ho Joo said. “We look forward to working with HII to explore new possibilities and deliver even greater value to our customers,” added Won-ho Joo, chief executive of the naval and special ship business unit at HHI.