General Dynamics Nassco, a business unit of General Dynamics, DSEC and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) of South Korea announced the signing of a tripartite Memorandum of Agreement, joining forces to collaborate on their industry-leading ship design and automation and manufacturing technology in the U.S. market.
The partnership will boost the efforts of the three companies in commercial shipbuilding projects and other government projects, including the U.S. Navy’s Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS).
General Dynamics Nassco has been the leading U.S. designer and builder of major auxiliary and commercial naval ships since the 1950s, with over 150 ships delivered to date. Nassco is currently building the U.S. Navy’s John Lewis (T-AO 205) class fleet oilers, which comprises 20 ships, and is designing the future Submarine Tender (AS-X) class. Among its recent commercial programs are Con-Ro ships, container ships and Medium Range (MR) tankers, all designed in collaboration with DSEC and other South Korean partners.
“This alliance brings together three extraordinary companies with a track record of success and over 160 years of combined experience in shipbuilding and design. Having worked closely with DSEC for the past two decades and now with the addition of Samsung Heavy Industries, there is a great opportunity to leverage our expertise and years of learning to drive the next generation of shipbuilding,” said Dave Carver, president of General Dynamics Nassco.
DSEC offers a full range of shipbuilding and marine engineering services, including ship design, material procurement, quality management, development consulting and shipyard operations, logistical support and green retrofitting solutions. With over three decades of experience, DSEC has worked extensively on ship designs built in the U.S. and material packages across the country, supporting a wide variety of commercial and government ship programs.
“This MOA strengthens our long-standing collaboration with General Dynamics Nassco by combining the capabilities of Samsung Heavy Industries and we look forward to bringing greater value to the U.S. naval and maritime industry,” stated Seogyong Youn, president of DSEC.
