HD Hyundai announced on the 5th that it has launched a full-scale pilot project to improve shipyard productivity at Ingalls Shipbuilding, operated by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the largest defense shipbuilder in the United States.

This is an extension of HD Hyundai's ongoing efforts to broaden the scope of shipbuilding technology cooperation with the United States. Previously, HD Hyundai signed a master agreement with Siemens last month for the adoption of next-generation marine platforms, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Fincantieri Marinette Marine for shipyard modernization cooperation. The company has been pursuing various collaborative projects ranging from naval vessel maintenance and repair to research and development (R&D) and shipyard modernization.

Located in the state of Mississippi, the Ingalls shipyard is the largest surface combatant construction facility in the United States. It is considered a core shipyard of HII, manufacturing two-thirds of the Aegis destroyer orders placed by the U.S. Navy and producing all large amphibious assault ships and patrol frigates.

This pilot project is a follow-up measure to the MOU on 'Improving Shipbuilding Productivity and Advanced Shipbuilding Technology Cooperation,' which HD Hyundai and HII signed on the occasion of the Sea-Air-Space Exhibition (SAS 2025) held in Washington, D.C. last year. Through the MOU at the time, the two companies established cooperation measures across the entire shipbuilding process, including process automation, the construction of a digital shipyard based on robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), enhancing production efficiency by combining naval vessel construction expertise, production workforce training, and participation in the equipment supply chain.

As the first phase of the pilot project, HD Hyundai is introducing its independently developed 'Intelligent Welding System' to the Ingalls shipyard. This system is a field-proven technology currently in actual operation at shipyards within the HD Hyundai group, including HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Samho.

Developed to enhance the safety and efficiency of welding operations, the system automatically recognizes the workpiece and conditions to correct the welding position in real time. Operators only need to set the work zone to manage multiple robots simultaneously and intervene directly only when necessary. Additionally, process data is stored in real time and actively utilized for quality control, process improvement, and work history verification.

Starting with this collaboration, HD Hyundai and Huntington Ingalls Industries plan to continuously expand the scope of cooperation across the entire shipbuilding process.

Brian Blanchette, President of Ingalls Shipbuilding, stated, "Through this collaboration, we will be able to expand the scope of automation application to deeper stages of the production process and incorporate the best practices of both companies into the U.S. Navy's shipbuilding process." Joo Won-ho, President of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, also expressed his anticipation, saying, "The partnership between our two companies will be further strengthened, leading to improved efficiency in naval vessel construction and increased customer value."