Company selected for small shipbuilder naval MRO support project, receiving 99 billion won over five years
By Park Hye-won, The Herald Business
Daehan Shipbuilding announced Monday it has been selected for the "Global Competitiveness Enhancement Support Project for Naval Vessel MRO by Small and Medium Shipbuilders," overseen by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The company plans to use the designation as a springboard into the US Navy's MRO market.
DAPA administers the project jointly with South Gyeongsang Province and the cities and provinces of Busan, Ulsan and South Jeolla Province. It will channel a total of 99 billion won (about $64.2 million) through 2030 to strengthen the naval vessel MRO capabilities of domestic small and medium-sized shipyards.
Daehan Shipbuilding plans to pursue a US Navy Master Ship Repair Agreement and Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, using both to expand its business beyond its current focus on commercial vessel orders into naval MRO work.
The company said its entry into naval MRO would allow it to extend ship maintenance capabilities — currently concentrated in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province — to the country's southwestern region. South Jeolla Province in particular, with its dense network of shipbuilding suppliers, can fill gaps in naval readiness support while anchoring a regionally rooted defense industry ecosystem.
"This selection signals a major strategic shift for the company — adding defense industry work grounded in MRO to our existing identity and portfolio as the leading player in the mid-size tanker market," a Daehan Shipbuilding official said.
klee@heraldcorp.com
