General Dynamics NASSCO has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with South Korean shipbuilders DSEC and Samsung Heavy Industries to expand cooperation on ship design, manufacturing automation, and other advanced shipbuilding technologies for the US market. The agreement positions the companies to jointly pursue major commercial, naval, and government ship programs, including the US Navy’s Next Generation Logistics Ship initiative. Executives highlighted that the arrangement strengthens NASSCO’s longstanding collaboration with South Korean partners, combining US production capacity with Korean design expertise. NASSCO, headquartered in California, has produced around 150 ships since the 1950s and is currently working on the 20-ship John Lewis-class oiler fleet while designing potential replacements for the Emory Land-class submarine tenders. Many of its recent commercial ships were developed in cooperation with South Korean firms. DSEC brings decades of experience supporting US maritime programs, offering ship design, procurement, quality management, operational consulting, and logistics support. Samsung contributes global industrial capacity, with active programs building LNG carriers, container ships, drillships, and floating production platforms.
