Hyundai Heavy Industries expands US shipyard automation and seeks Philippine frigate contract

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) have begun a pilot program to install intelligent mechanized welding systems at Ingalls Shipbuilding’s Pascagoula, Mississippi facility. The new equipment will automate tasks that currently rely on manual welding, improving safety, efficiency, and traceability while complying with U.S. Navy fabrication standards.

Separately, HHI is moving forward with administrative and contractual steps to obtain a follow‑on order from the Philippine Navy for additional 3,200‑tonne guided‑missile frigates. The prospective vessels will be based on the Miguel Malvar‑class design, feature a 76 mm gun, a 16‑cell vertical launching system and a flight deck capable of handling larger helicopters, and are slated for delivery in the third quarter of 2026 under the Philippines’ Revised AFP Modernization Program.