"Preparing to Enter the US MRO Market"
HJ Heavy Industries announced on the 27th that it has won a contract worth 124.7 billion KRW from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to develop a performance improvement system for 18 Navy guided missile patrol boats. It is expected that the performance and operational capabilities of the guided missile patrol boats, which serve as the frontline force of the naval fleet, will be significantly enhanced.
The guided missile patrol boat (PKG) is a 440-ton class high-speed combat ship (PKX-A) built to secure replacement power for aging high-speed boats. HJ Heavy Industries was responsible for constructing eight ships, including the first ship, ROKS Yoon Youngha, in 2008, and a total of 18 ships were commissioned by 2018.
Equipped with domestically produced combat systems, hull fireproof bulkheads, stealth technology, and waterjet propulsion, the PKG has dramatically improved firepower, maneuverability, and survivability compared to the existing Chamsuri-class patrol boats. Since deployment, it has served as a genuine next-generation high-speed ship with capabilities in anti-ship warfare, anti-air warfare, and electronic warfare.
However, due to performance degradation from aging and discontinued parts, the need to replace combat systems and equipment has been raised. Accordingly, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the Navy have promoted a performance improvement project aimed at upgrading combat performance by replacing outdated equipment with the latest domestic equipment for effective mission execution.
HJ Heavy Industries was recognized for its ability to carry out the performance improvement project on all 18 ships, including those it directly constructed, covering ship design, construction, overhaul, and performance upgrades.
Building on its accumulated technological expertise and project execution capabilities, HJ Heavy Industries is preparing to enter the U.S. MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) market. The company’s MRO business is expected to gain further momentum following President Trump's remarks on cooperation with the Korean shipbuilding industry.
An HJ Heavy Industries official stated, "Based on over 50 years of accumulated technology and know-how, we have provided total solutions to ordering agencies, including the construction of state-of-the-art ships, overhaul, performance upgrades, and production of combat equipment. We will further enhance our competitiveness as a marine defense industry company through this guided missile patrol boat performance improvement project, which will continue until 2030, and by pioneering the overseas MRO market, regarded as a future growth engine for the special-purpose ship business."
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