U.S. shipbuilder HII recently hosted executives from South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) at its Ingalls Shipbuilding facility in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The visit underscores growing industrial cooperation between two of the world’s leading naval construction firms as they explore joint opportunities in surface combatants and amphibious platforms for allied navies.
Strategic Context of the HII–HHI Engagement
The October 2025 visit by HD HHI leadership to HII’s Gulf Coast yard marks a continuation of bilateral defense-industrial engagement that began with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in April 2023. That agreement outlined areas for collaboration across design engineering, systems integration, supply chain resilience, and lifecycle sustainment for advanced surface combatants.
Both companies are global leaders in naval shipbuilding. HII’s Ingalls yard is the primary builder of U.S. Navy amphibious warships—including the San Antonio-class LPDs and America-class LHAs—as well as Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers (DDGs). Meanwhile, HD HHI is South Korea’s largest naval shipbuilder and the lead contractor for the Republic of Korea Navy’s KDX destroyer series and LPX amphibious assault ships.
The convergence of these capabilities is timely amid rising demand for interoperable platforms among U.S. allies in Asia-Pacific and Europe. Both firms are exploring how to align their technical expertise to support allied fleet modernization programs—particularly those involving Aegis-equipped surface combatants and expeditionary vessels.
Ingalls Shipyard Tour Highlights Shared Capabilities
During their visit to Pascagoula, HD HHI executives toured several key production areas at Ingalls Shipbuilding:
- LPD 32 Harrisburg: The latest San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock under construction for the U.S. Navy.
- DDG 125 Jack H. Lucas: The first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer featuring the AN/SPY-6(V)1 radar system.
- LHA 8 Bougainville: An America-class amphibious assault ship nearing completion with enhanced aviation capabilities.
The tour emphasized shared competencies in modular construction techniques, vertical integration of complex systems such as radar masts and combat information centers (CICs), and digital shipyard processes including model-based engineering (MBE).
These commonalities are particularly relevant as both firms pursue next-generation programs like South Korea’s KDDX stealth destroyer initiative—where HD HHI leads hull design—and potential future U.S. Navy large surface combatant concepts where modularity and open architecture will be critical.
Expanding Cooperation Beyond Design to Sustainment
The partnership between HII and HD HHI extends beyond newbuild design into sustainment strategies—a growing focus area as navies seek longer service lives from high-value assets amid budget constraints.
This includes potential joint development of digital twins for predictive maintenance; common logistics frameworks; shared supplier networks for mission-critical components such as propulsion systems or power distribution units; and cross-training programs between U.S. Navy and Republic of Korea Navy personnel on platform-specific maintenance procedures.
The two companies also see potential synergies in life-cycle support offerings to third-party navies operating similar platforms—including nations acquiring former U.S., South Korean or co-developed ships through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or direct commercial sales channels.
Aegis-Capable Platforms as a Core Focus Area
A key area of mutual interest lies in Aegis-capable surface combatants. Both companies have deep experience integrating Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Combat System into their respective platforms:
- HII: Builds Flight IIA/III Arleigh Burke-class DDGs equipped with SPY-1D(V)/SPY-6 radars and Aegis Baseline software suites.
- HD HHI: Integrated Aegis Baseline 9 on ROKN Sejong the Great-class KDX-III destroyers—the largest non-U.S. Aegis ships globally—and plans similar integration on future KDDX platforms with indigenous enhancements.
This shared experience positions both firms well to collaborate on future international projects requiring high-end air defense capabilities—such as NATO-aligned navies seeking BMD-capable ships or Indo-Pacific partners enhancing maritime domain awareness under regional security initiatives like AUKUS or FOIP (Free & Open Indo-Pacific).
A Model for Allied Industrial Collaboration?
The evolving relationship between HII and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries may serve as a template for broader allied industrial cooperation in an era where defense supply chains are increasingly strained by geopolitical tensions and capacity bottlenecks.
If successful, this partnership could yield co-designed export variants tailored to allied requirements—for example:
- A scaled-down LPD variant optimized for ASEAN or Middle Eastern navies with limited blue-water ambitions but expeditionary needs;
- A hybrid DDG concept leveraging Korean hull efficiencies with American sensor/weapons suites;
- Sustainment hubs located strategically across Asia-Pacific using common digital MRO architectures developed jointly by both companies.
Conclusion: From MoU to Operational Impact
The October meeting at Ingalls represents more than symbolic diplomacy—it reflects a maturing industrial alignment that could reshape how allied navies procure, operate, and sustain their most complex warships. As demand surges not only from great power competition but also from regional partners seeking capability uplift without full indigenous build capacity, partnerships like that between HII and HD HHI offer scalable solutions rooted in proven expertise.
