U.S. Naval Ship Departs South Korean Shipyard. The United States Navy Military Sealift Command's dry cargo ship USNS Wally Schirra departs Hanwha Ocean shipyard after a seven-month overhaul at Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, on March 12, 2025. U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command Far East
A United States naval logistics vessel recently completed an overhaul in South Korea, as Washington's warships seek to counter threats from China.
The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
The U.S. military has been rotating its most capable ships to the Indo-Pacific region, its "priority theater of operations," as the Chinese military has the world's largest navy by hull count with over 370 ships and submarines, according to a Pentagon assessment report.
Newsweek previously mapped the extent of the decline of American shipbuilding, which showed the U.S. Navy has four active public shipyards to support its fleet. Meanwhile, China has 307 shipyards, with 35 sites having ties to military or national security projects.
A leaked U.S. Navy briefing slide also revealed that China's shipbuilding capacity was 232 times greater than that of the U.S., specialist outlet The War Zone reported, which has raised concerns about the U.S. Navy's ability to sustain its fleet during any conflict.
What To Know
The dry cargo ship USNS Wally Schirra, assigned to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) under the U.S. Navy, concluded a regular overhaul (ROH) by South Korea's shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean on March 12, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announced.
The ship is capable of delivering ammunition, provisions, stores, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to aircraft carrier groups and other naval forces, serving as a shuttle ship or station ship. It is part of the supply lines to U.S. Navy ships while at sea.
This marked the first time that a South Korean shipyard has won an ROH contract of this scale for an MSC vessel, according to the announcement, which "addressed extensive deterioration and damage to the hull, propeller, rudder, and rudder post/steering gear."
Hanwha Ocean reverse-engineered and replaced the damaged rudder when the blueprint was not available, saving significant time and resources in getting the ship back to sea, said Commander Patrick Moore, commanding officer of the MSC Office-Korea.
Maintenance in theater reduced downtime and costs and enhanced operational readiness, Rear Admiral Neil Koprowski, commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Korea, explained.
South Korea conducting large-scale maintenance for USNS ships within the Indo-Pacific region showed the strong strategic partnership between the two allies, Koprowski added.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Hanwha Ocean said the collaboration with the U.S. Navy served as an opportunity to solidify its presence in the global defense industry.
In addition to the Wally Schirra, for which Hanwha Ocean secured the overhaul contract from the U.S. Navy last July, the South Korean shipbuilder won a scheduled maintenance contract for USNS Yukon, an American naval replenishment oiler, last November.
What People Are Saying
Rear Admiral Neil Koprowski, commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Korea, said in a press release on March 13: "This is a landmark achievement to be celebrated as a symbol of our strengthened partnership and ironclad commitment to the ROK-U.S. alliance."
ROK stands for Republic of Korea, the official name of South Korea.
Commander Patrick Moore, commanding officer of the MSC Office-Korea, said in a press release on March 13: "The addition of ROH capability for MSC ships in the Republic of Korea's shipping industry adds additional means to deliver repair of military logistics vessels in order to sustain the readiness necessary to support fleet operations."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether major surface warships of the U.S. Navy such as destroyers will undergo maintenance in South Korea in the future, which can save time in traveling back and forth between the U.S. mainland and the Indo-Pacific region for overhauls.
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This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 4:51 AM.