Samsung Heavy Industries accelerates push into US Navy MRO market

Samsung Heavy Industries is pushing to break into the US Navy's maintenance, repair and overhaul market through a partnership with an American shipbuilder, with industry attention focused on whether the company can secure its first contract in the sector before year's end. The shipbuilder is simultaneously pursuing certification under the US Navy's Master Ship Repair Agreement and deepening cooperation on naval logistics vessel design as it lays the groundwork for a broader presence in the American naval MRO market.

According to industry sources Thursday, Vigor Marine Group — Samsung Heavy's US partner — is currently bidding on multiple US Navy MRO contracts. Under the arrangement, Vigor Marine would be the contracting party, with Samsung Heavy participating as a subcontractor to carry out the actual repair work. Samsung Heavy plans to use this structure to build a track record in the US domestic MRO market.

However, Vigor Marine's recent award of a $119.4 million contract to maintain and modernize the USS San Antonio (LPD 17), a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, is unrelated to Samsung Heavy's involvement. The two companies' collaboration targets logistics vessel MRO, not combat ship work.

Among the primary targets are logistics support vessels operated by the US Navy's 7th Fleet, which oversees the Asia-Pacific region. These ships resupply fuel and materiel to vessels on active operations, and differ from combat ships in mission and function. Given the geographic proximity, Samsung Heavy's shipyard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, is considered a likely venue for the repair work.

Vigor Marine is one of the United States' leading MRO shipbuilders, with experience across warships, logistics vessels and commercial ships. If the partnership yields a logistics vessel MRO contract, Samsung Heavy would gain its first US Navy MRO credentials. In the domestic shipbuilding industry, Hanwha Ocean became the first Korean shipyard to handle US Navy logistics vessel maintenance in 2024, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has continued to win related contracts since then.

Samsung Heavy is also working to secure its own qualifications for US Navy MRO work. A company official said the shipbuilder expects to formally obtain the US Navy's Master Ship Repair Agreement certification by the end of this year.

The MSRA is a credential issued by the US Navy's Naval Supply Systems Command following a comprehensive assessment of a civilian shipyard's repair capabilities, financial soundness, technical expertise, quality control, safety management and security systems. Certified shipyards may bid on US Navy combat vessel MRO contracts for five years. Samsung Heavy had originally planned to enter the market solely through its partnership with Vigor Marine without obtaining the MSRA, but decided to pursue certification as well to strengthen its long-term competitiveness.

Beyond logistics vessel MRO, Samsung Heavy is also expanding cooperation with US partners on related design work. General Dynamics NASSCO, a US shipyard with which Samsung Heavy has a cooperative relationship, was selected in April as a concept design contractor for the US Navy's Next Generation Logistics Ship program. Samsung Heavy plans to collaborate on the engineering design work as a result.

The company is also exploring business opportunities in the United States on multiple fronts. In July, it signed an MOU with US autonomous vessel company Saronic Technologies to jointly develop autonomous navigation systems for unmanned surface vessels. It has also responded to a US Navy request for information on foreign construction of medium-sized replenishment oilers, submitting data on its shipbuilding track record and production capacity. Separately, it is working with Conrad Shipyard on an LNG bunkering project.