Seoul, Washington expand military maintenance and supply partnership

Defence officials from South Korea and the United States recently held consultations in South Korea aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation in naval logistics as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities, officials said on February 14.

The discussions took place during a visit earlier this month by a US delegation headed by Capt. Albert Sonon, a director at the Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP WS, according to Korean media reports.

During the trip, the delegation met with representatives of South Korea’s Defence Acquisition Program Administration and officials from key naval commands.

At talks with DAPA, both sides explored opportunities related to MRO support for spare parts within the operational area of the US Indo-Pacific Command. NAVSUP WSS noted that South Korea’s strong industrial base contributes to the Pentagon’s regional framework and enhances collective defence efforts.

The US delegation also conducted meetings with officials from Navy headquarters, the naval logistics command and the air command to discuss improving supply support for major platforms, including the P-8A maritime surveillance aircraft and the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter.

According to NAVSUP WSS, the primary objective of the consultations was to streamline procedures so that the South Korean Navy can more rapidly obtain secure spare parts required to sustain operational readiness.

“This visit highlights our deep commitment to our allies and to a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific. The collaboration between NAVSUP WSS and our Republic of Korea partners is a testament to our strong alliance and shared dedication to maritime security,” the US unit said, referring to South Korea by its formal name.

Separately, the South Korean Navy said the head of its Naval Logistics Command emphasised the significance of the South Korea–US alliance during meetings with the American delegation, noting that roughly 100 foreign military sales projects involving the navy form an essential component of their combined defence posture.

The two sides also reviewed practical steps to qualitatively strengthen military logistics cooperation, potentially including the sharing of maintenance manuals.

Earlier in February, senior officials from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defence Logistics Agency held separate talks focused on improving joint sustainment capabilities based on the long-standing alliance between the two countries. The meeting marked the first official engagement between the two organisations.

By Tamilla Hasanova