South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has signed an agreement with U.S. shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries to jointly build auxiliary vessels for the U.S. Navy. Their memorandum outlines potential investment in U.S. shipyards and expands bilateral industrial cooperation. This move comes amid broader discussions of defence and trade alignment between South Korea and the U.S., and signals growing convergence in security-linked supply chains. Analysts say the deal may also factor into tariff concessions, broader industrial policy shifts and long-term manufacturing strategy across Asia-Pacific.