Hanwha bags 1st US Navy shipbuilding order

Hanwha Defense USA signed a $269 million contract with TOTE Services to build a U.S. Navy landing ship medium at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, marking Hanwha’s first U.S. Navy warship construction order. Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of next year, and the contract includes options for three additional vessels. The ship is designed to transport and deploy Marine Corps personnel, equipment and supplies in contested coastal areas, including the Indo-Pacific. Hanwha said the order demonstrates the shipyard’s naval construction capabilities and advances Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation under MASGA.

The U.S. Navy aims to secure 35 landing ship mediums, based on Dutch shipbuilder Damen’s LST-100 design.

The vessel is 100 meters long and 16 meters wide, has a light displacement of approximately 2,687 tons and a cruising range of about 7,400 kilometers.

TOTE Services selected shipbuilders through competitive bidding, evaluating safety records, quality standards and on-time delivery records.

Hanwha acquired Philly Shipyard for $100 million in 2024 and announced plans in 2025 to invest $5 billion in upgrading its infrastructure.

South Korea agreed to commit $150 billion to bilateral shipbuilding cooperation under the MASGA initiative.

Published Nov 1, 2026 11:14 am KST

Contract provides momentum for MASGA initiative

Hanwha Philly Shipyard / Courtesy of Hanwha Group

Hanwha Group has won its first contract to build a warship for the United States Navy after its acquisition of Philadelphia-based Philly Shipyard in December 2024, marking a tangible step forward in the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation initiative known as Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA).

Hanwha Group said Sunday that Hanwha Defense USA has signed a $269 million (357.5 billion won) contract with TOTE Services to build a landing ship medium (LSM). TOTE Services is a vessel construction manager entrusted by the U.S. Navy with overseeing shipbuilding contracts and managing vessel construction.

The construction of the LSM is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of next year, and the contract also includes options for three additional vessels.

The LSM is an expeditionary landing vessel designed to support the U.S. Navy's operations in contested coastal areas, including the Indo-Pacific region. It is tasked with transporting and deploying Marine Corps personnel, equipment and supplies to coastal areas. The U.S. Navy aims to secure 35 LSMs.

The vessel measures 100 meters in length and 16 meters in width, with a light displacement of approximately 2,687 tons and a cruising range of about 7,400 kilometers.

An artist's impression of Damen's Landing Ship Transport-100, which was selected for the U.S. Navy's Landing Ship Medium Program and will be built at Hanwha Philly Shipyard / Captured from Damen's website

The U.S. Navy’s LSM program is based on the LST-100 design developed by Dutch shipbuilder Damen. The Navy plans to accelerate the initial deployment of the vessels by using an existing commercial design and building them simultaneously at multiple shipyards.

TOTE Services selected the shipbuilders through a competitive bidding process, evaluating their safety records, quality standards and track records for on-time delivery. Hanwha Philly Shipyard has maintained a longstanding partnership with TOTE Services, building and delivering four National Security Multi-Mission Vessels under the vessel construction manager model for the U.S. Maritime Administration.

Hanwha Defense USA has also deployed personnel to Philadelphia since early this year to support the shipyard's preparations for U.S. Navy projects.

Hanwha Group said the order bears significance as it demonstrates Hanwha Philly Shipyard's capabilities to build not only commercial vessels but also naval ships, laying a strategic foundation for expanding its business with the U.S. Navy.

Hanwha Group acquired Philly Shipyard for $100 million in 2024 and announced plans in 2025 to invest $5 billion in upgrading the shipyard's infrastructure.

In March, Hanwha Philly Shipyard and Hanwha Defense USA participated in the conceptual design of the U.S. Navy's Next Generation Logistics Ship. In July, the shipyard was also selected to build a Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel for the U.S. Golden Dome missile defense system.

In September, Hanwha also established a new subsidiary, Hanwha Defense USA Shipbuilding, to operate Hanwha Philly Shipyard and strengthen the group’s shipbuilding and naval defense businesses in the U.S.

With the latest order, Hanwha has expanded its involvement in U.S. Navy projects from ship design to construction.

"Since acquiring Philly Shipyard in 2024, Hanwha has made substantial investments in personnel and technology to establish a shipbuilding base capable of serving federal government customers, including the U.S. Navy," Hanwha Defense USA CEO Michael Coulter said. "We will continue working with TOTE Services to ensure the vessel is delivered on schedule and within budget."

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during the naming ceremony of the TS State of Maine vessel at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, Aug. 27, 2025. Yonhap

The contract also carries significance as it marks a tangible achievement in warship construction just 15 months after Seoul proposed the MASGA initiative. Under the initiative, Korea agreed to commit $150 billion to bilateral shipbuilding cooperation to help rebuild the U.S. shipbuilding industry and strengthen its naval shipbuilding capabilities.

Last year, the U.S. announced plans to procure 364 new vessels by 2054, comprising 293 combat ships and 71 logistics and support vessels, as it seeks to strengthen its naval capability amid intensifying competition with China. Against this backdrop, industry officials said the latest contract served as a stepping stone to provide further momentum for future projects with Korean shipbuilders.

U.S. Senator Dave McCormick highlighted Hanwha's planned $5 billion investment in Philadelphia as an example of how cooperation with close U.S. allies can help rebuild America's shipbuilding capacity and strengthen its defense industrial base.

“Pennsylvania is leading the way as we rebuild American shipbuilding, bringing jobs, manufacturing and opportunity back to our state,” McCormick said. “Hanwha’s continued commitment to Philadelphia shows what is possible when we invest in American workers and American industry.”

韩华防务美国公司与TOTE Services公司签署了一份价值2.69亿美元的合同，将在位于费城的韩华费城造船厂建造一艘美国海军中型登陆舰。这是韩华公司首次获得美国海军军舰建造订单。该舰预计将于明年第四季度开工建造，合同还包含增建三艘舰艇的选择权。该舰旨在向包括印太地区在内的冲突沿海地区运送和部署海军陆战队人员、装备和物资。韩华公司表示，该订单展现了造船厂的造船能力，并推进了韩美在“美韩联合造船计划”（MASGA）框架下的造船合作。

美国海军的目标是采购 35 艘中型登陆舰，该舰以荷兰造船厂达门的 LST-100 设计为基础。

该船长100米，宽16米，空载排水量约为2687吨，巡航范围约为7400公里。

TOTE Services 通过竞标、评估安全记录、质量标准和准时交付记录来选择造船商。

韩华集团于 2024 年以 1 亿美元收购了费城造船厂，并于 2025 年宣布计划投资 50 亿美元升级其基础设施。

韩国同意根据MASGA倡议，投入1500亿美元用于双边造船合作。

发布于2026年11月1日上午11:14（韩国标准时间）

合同为MASGA计划提供了动力

韩华费城造船厂 / 图片由韩华集团提供

韩华集团在 2024 年 12 月收购了位于费城的费城造船厂后，赢得了为美国海军建造军舰的第一份合同，这标志着韩美造船合作倡议“让美国造船业再次伟大”（MASGA）向前迈出了切实的一步。

韩华集团周日宣布，旗下韩华防务美国公司已与TOTE Services公司签署一份价值2.69亿美元（约合3575亿韩元）的合同，建造一艘中型登陆舰（LSM）。TOTE Services是一家受美国海军委托的船舶建造管理公司，负责监督造船合同并管理船舶建造。

LSM 的建造预计将于明年第四季度开始，合同还包括建造三艘额外船舶的选择权。

LSM（登陆舰）是一种远征登陆舰，旨在支援美国海军在包括印太地区在内的沿海争议地区的行动。其任务是向沿海地区运送和部署海军陆战队人员、装备和物资。美国海军的目标是采购35艘LSM。

该船长100米，宽16米，空载排水量约为2687吨，巡航范围约为7400公里。

这是达门造船厂设计的“运输登陆舰-100”的效果图，该舰已被美国海军选中参与“中型登陆舰”项目，并将由韩华费城造船厂建造。/ 图片来自达门造船厂网站

美国海军的登陆舰（LSM）项目以荷兰达门造船厂开发的LST-100型登陆舰为基础。海军计划采用现有的商业设计，并在多个造船厂同时建造，以加快舰艇的初期部署。

TOTE Services通过公开竞标的方式选定了造船厂，并对其安全记录、质量标准和按时交付记录进行了评估。韩华费城造船厂与TOTE Services保持着长期合作关系，根据船舶建造管理模式，为美国海事管理局建造并交付了四艘国家安全多用途舰艇。

今年年初以来，韩华防务美国公司也向费城派遣了人员，以支持造船厂为美国海军项目所做的准备工作。

韩华集团表示，该订单意义重大，因为它证明了韩华费城造船厂不仅有能力建造商船，还有能力建造海军舰艇，为其与美国海军扩大业务奠定了战略基础。

韩华集团于 2024 年以 1 亿美元收购了费城造船厂，并于 2025 年宣布计划投资 50 亿美元升级该造船厂的基础设施。

今年3月，韩华费城造船厂和韩华防务美国公司参与了美国海军下一代后勤舰的概念设计。7月，该造船厂又被选中为美国“金穹顶”导弹防御系统建造导弹靶场测量船。

9月，韩华集团还成立了一家新的子公司——韩华防务美国造船公司，负责运营韩华费城造船厂，以加强集团在美国的造船和海军防务业务。

通过最新订单，韩华集团已将其在美国海军项目中的参与范围从舰船设计扩展到建造。

韩华防务美国公司首席执行官迈克尔·库尔特表示：“自2024年收购费城造船厂以来，韩华已在人员和技术方面进行了大量投资，以建立一个能够服务于包括美国海军在内的联邦政府客户的造船基地。我们将继续与TOTE Services合作，确保该舰按时按预算交付。”

2025年8月27日，李在明总统在费城韩华造船厂举行的“缅因州号”巡洋舰命名仪式上发表讲话。（韩联社）

该合同意义重大，标志着在首尔提出“美韩联合造船倡议”（MASGA）仅15个月后，军舰建造领域取得了切实成果。根据该倡议，韩国同意投入1500亿美元用于双边造船合作，以帮助重建美国造船业并增强其海军造船能力。

去年，美国宣布计划到2054年采购364艘新舰艇，其中包括293艘作战舰艇和71艘后勤支援舰艇，以期在与中国的竞争日益激烈的背景下增强其海军实力。在此背景下，业内人士表示，最新签订的合同将为未来与韩国造船厂的合作项目奠定基础。

美国参议员戴夫·麦考密克强调，韩华计划在费城投资 50 亿美元，以此为例说明与美国亲密盟友的合作如何能够帮助重建美国的造船能力并加强其国防工业基础。

“宾夕法尼亚州正引领美国造船业的复兴，为本州带来就业机会、制造业发展和发展机遇，”麦考密克说。“韩华对费城的持续投入表明，当我们投资美国工人和美国产业时，一切皆有可能。”