A US Navy logistics support ship has arrived at HJ Shipbuilding and Construction’s Yeongdo shipyard in Busan, marking the start of the South Korean shipbuilder’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business for the US military.
The 40,000-ton logistics support ship USNS Amelia Earhart entered the Yeongdo facility on January 12. The vessel operates under the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command and is capable of supplying ammunition, food, dry cargo and fuel to frontline naval units.
HJ Shipbuilding and Construction secured the MRO contract from the US Naval Supply Systems Command in December 2025. The ship is 210 metres long and 32 metres wide and can carry up to 6,000 tons of cargo and about 2,400 tons of fuel.
Port pilot vessels and tugboats were deployed to assist the ship’s safe transit and berthing from Busan North Port, according to the shipyard.
Maintenance work on USNS Amelia Earhart is scheduled to begin this month, with the vessel expected to be redelivered to the US Navy in March following inspections and servicing of onboard systems.
HJ Shipbuilding and Construction stated it has been preparing to enter the naval MRO market since 2024. It is the third South Korean shipbuilder to secure a US Navy MRO contract, after Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The company said it plans to expand its MRO activities to include additional support vessels and combat ships in the future, subject to securing a master ship repair agreement with the US Navy.