South Korea and the US are considering the possibility of Seoul’s defense industry participating in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of Washington’s warships and weapons.
South Korea and the US have been discussing MRO services for Washington’s warships for a year now. Meanwhile, MRO services for Washington’s weapons have only been discussed by the two countries since December 2023. The US currently maintains about 28,000 troops in Korea on the basis of the Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1953. According to the Korean Ministry of Defense, a bilateral agreement on MRO services for warships and weapons will contribute to improving combat readiness capacity of the two countries’ militaries, contributing to stability in the region.
“If the weapons of the US military stationed in the Indo-Pacific region can be maintained in Korea, the MRO capacity of the Korean defense industry can be expanded and the warranty period can be expanded.” maintenance can be shortened,” an announcement from the Korean Ministry of Defense emphasized.
The US Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge during maintenance at the Norfolk shipyard, Virginia. Photo: Stars and Stripes
Last year, Korean businesses including HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanjin Heavy Industries, SK oceanplant, Hanwha Ocean and officials from Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) paid visits to manufacturers. American ships such as Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), General Dynamics NASSCO to explore the possibility of shipbuilding cooperation and joint MRO projects.
According to DAPA, the visit “identifies commitments”, finds solutions to respond to “supply chain instability” and the lack of a qualified workforce, solutions to “overcome financial difficulties”. institutions and environment” that the shipbuilding industry faces. The two sides also discussed developing advanced technologies and improving the quality of warships. “There needs to be cooperation and action at the government level of the US and allied countries,” the Korean Ministry of Defense emphasized.
The above information is given in the context of improving the capacity to maintain weapons and technical equipment, an issue that the US Navy has focused on in recent years. This is understandable because since the US Navy shifted its focus from “wartime repair to peacetime maintenance, reducing the number of shipyards” after the Cold War, this force’s maintenance capacity has is often assessed as “having many problems, causing serious obstacles to combat readiness”. The US Federal Audit Office (GAO) – an oversight agency of the US Congress – has repeatedly affirmed that the US Navy’s ability to maintain weapons and technical equipment is “not present where needed”.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) of the US Navy was undergoing maintenance at Puget Sound shipyard, Washington state. Photo: Stars and Stripes
According to Rear Admiral William Greene, who is in charge of maintaining surface ships of the US Navy, in recent times, this force has paid a lot of attention to preparing for the scenario of warships being damaged in the event of damage. fight. The US Navy has included this scenario in major exercises at sea, detonating explosives on ships – which have been decommissioned – so that sailors can practice returning them to port and conducting assessments. damage and repair.
Vice Admiral James Downey, head of the US Navy’s Combat Systems Command, said the force is drafting a proposal for US warships to be maintained at shipyards in neighboring countries. smart in the near future. The proposal is expected to allow up to six U.S. Navy warships to be maintained overseas in one fiscal year, possibly three in the Indo-Pacific and three in Europe, over time. Maximum maintenance 90 days/unit. Although the 90-day figure mentioned above is much shorter than the maintenance period at US shipyards, it will allow maintenance facilities abroad to somewhat understand “how to work with the US Navy.” , design and weapon systems on US warships”, and create a basis for repairing US warships in emergencies.
Meanwhile, on the Korean side, the country’s defense industry is increasingly developing and doing well. Products from the Korean defense industry are considered by customers to be reliable, technologically advanced and affordable. South Korea is currently aiming to become the world’s fourth-largest defense exporter by 2027, after the US, Russia and France.
HOANG VU (according to Defense News, news, CNBC, Business Insider)