HD Hyundai Expresses Strong Interest in U.S. Naval Shipbuilding Cooperation

As geopolitical tensions rise, the United States is looking to enhance its naval capabilities through closer cooperation with South Korea’s shipbuilding industry. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has expressed a strong commitment to collaborate with the U.S. on naval shipbuilding and repair. This partnership aims to bolster operational readiness in the Indo-Pacific region, addressing security challenges posed by other nations.

Strengthening Naval Capabilities Through Collaboration

During a recent event at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C., Ji-hoon Kim, an executive from HD Hyundai’s special ship division, highlighted the company’s readiness to support U.S. security efforts. He emphasized the importance of collaboration to enhance naval construction and repair capabilities. “We recognize that a country in the region is presenting significant security challenges through market-disrupting actions,” Kim stated, referring to the need for a united front in the Indo-Pacific.

The discussions at the event focused on improving the U.S. Navy’s ability to build and maintain vessels efficiently. There is growing concern in Washington about America’s capacity to compete with China in naval power. Policymakers and scholars are increasingly advocating for stronger alliances with South Korea and Japan to expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity. Kim noted that HD Hyundai is open to various forms of collaboration, including investments in American shipyards or partnerships with existing U.S. firms.

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In the short term, HD Hyundai plans to explore “creative ways” to collaborate, potentially starting with the construction of naval support vessels based on commercial designs. Long-term goals include strategic investments to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and create American jobs. The event also featured insights from Nicholas Guertin, former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, who discussed various strategies for reinforcing U.S. naval capabilities. He praised the collaboration between U.S. shipbuilder NASSCO and South Korean firms as a successful model for international partnerships.

The discussions underscore a growing consensus in Washington that international cooperation, particularly with South Korean and Japanese shipbuilders, is essential for enhancing America’s naval capabilities amid rising geopolitical tensions.