U.S. President Donald Trump has emphasized U.S.-South Korea cooperation in the shipbuilding industry, concrete cooperative projects between the two countries' authorities have now begun to take shape.

According to multiple government sources on the 6th, a U.S. Navy Department official contacted South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration at the end of last month to propose awarding the MRO contract. The official reportedly mentioned the names of U.S. naval vessels requiring MRO within the year and explained specific project plans.

The mentioned vessels include five to six non-combat ships, such as U.S. Navy oceanographic survey ships and maritime surveillance ships. The U.S. Navy Department also suggested that the U.S.-South Korea MRO cooperation could expand, indicating that up to 10 naval vessels might be entrusted to South Korean shipbuilders this year. This is reportedly the first time the U.S. has made a practical proposal regarding U.S.-South Korea shipbuilding cooperation since the launch of the second Trump administration in January.

A domestic defense company won its first-ever MRO contract for two U.S. Navy ships last year. Notably, the USNS Wally Schirra, the first vessel to undergo MRO in South Korea, is scheduled to be delivered to the U.S. military in mid-March. It is reported that the U.S. military had already completed its assessment of South Korea's warship maintenance capabilities based on the Wally Schirra as of last month.

The fact that a U.S. Navy Department official contacted South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration late last month to propose additional MRO contracts and inquire about the feasible workload for this year suggests that the results of the initial project were satisfactory. A government source stated, "We actively conveyed to the U.S. Navy Department that we are fully capable of handling additional contracts."

Following the U.S. Navy Department's proposal to expand the MRO program, officials from the South Korean and U.S. defense ministries have reportedly continued discussions on expanding cooperation, starting with the MRO of U.S. naval vessels. Meetings on this matter have taken place earlier this month.

The U.S. Navy's MRO program amounts to approximately 20 trillion won annually. The vessels that were awarded last year or are currently under discussion for contracts include non-combat ships such as logistics support vessels, with contract values reportedly ranging from 200 billion to 300 billion won per ship. While this is relatively low by warship maintenance standards, there are expectations that starting with non-combat vessel MRO could pave the way for securing contracts for high-cost combat ship maintenance, significantly enhancing profitability.

In particular, if U.S.-South Korea cooperation in the shipbuilding sector strengthens through the MRO program, there is growing anticipation that South Korean companies could gain a foothold in the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding projects. These projects are expected to have an annual contract volume of approximately 43 trillion won over the next 30 years.

The United States has set a goal of increasing its current fleet of 296 ships to 381 by 2054, in response to China's rapid naval expansion. Considering the ships that will retire each year, the U.S. will need to build an additional 364 ships over the next 30 years.

Meanwhile, the South Korean government proposed expanding defense cooperation by taking on the MRO for U.S. Air Force F-16 fighters right after Donald Trump's election. It is reported that the U.S. Air Force and relevant authorities are reviewing this proposal. Unlike the past, where South Korea handled basic airframe maintenance, this proposal includes MRO for advanced systems, such as weapons, which require high-level technology and security clearance. If successful, the plan could potentially be expanded to include MRO for F-15 fighters and helicopters.