SEOUL, July 8 (Yonhap) — Hanwha Ocean Co., a major South Korean shipbuilder, has secured a contract to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for the U.S. Navy ship Charles Drew, industry sources said Tuesday.
The company won the U.S. Navy’s regular MRO project for the Charles Drew, a dry cargo and ammunition ship assigned to the Navy’s 7th Fleet, the sources said.
The non-combat vessel is expected to arrive at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard, about 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, later this month and be delivered back to the U.S. Navy by the end of the year.
This marks the third time Hanwha has won an MRO project for a U.S. Navy vessel.
In August last year, it became the first South Korean shipbuilder to secure such a contract, for the Navy’s logistics support ship Wally Schirra. In November, it also won an MRO deal for the replenishment oiler Yukon.

This undated file photo, provided by Hanwha Ocean Co., shows the U.S. Navy’s logistics support ship Wally Schirra. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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