U.S. Navy places first warship order with Hanwha

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Hanwha has finally secured the contract to build a Medium Landing Ship (LSM) for the U.S. Navy.

This marks the first time Hanwha has won a U.S. Navy warship construction contract since acquiring Philly Shipyard in December 2024.

Hanwha Defense USA announced on the 29th (local time) that it signed a contract with TOTE Services, a U.S. Navy Vessel Construction Manager (VCM), to build one LSM. The contract value is approximately $269 million (approximately 357.5 billion won), and construction will be handled by Hanwha Philly Shipyard.

The LSM is an expeditionary landing ship that the U.S. Navy is introducing to conduct distributed operations in contested coastal areas, such as the Indo-Pacific region. It is tasked with transporting and deploying Marine Corps personnel, equipment, and supplies to coastal areas. The vessel measures 100 meters in length and 16 meters in width, has a light displacement of approximately 2,687 tons, and a range of approximately 7,400 kilometers.

The U.S. Navy is pursuing the acquisition of LSMs based on the LST-100 design by the Dutch company Damen. The plan involves utilizing an existing commercial design and building vessels simultaneously at multiple shipyards to accelerate initial operational capability goals. TOTE Services was selected as the VCM for this project in July and signed a contract worth $2.2 billion.

This win is significant as it recognizes Hanwha Philly Shipyard as a shipyard capable of building not only commercial vessels but also U.S. Navy warships.

Michael Koolter, President of Hanwha Defense USA, stated, "Since acquiring Philly Shipyard in 2024, Hanwha has made large-scale investments in personnel and technology to establish a shipbuilding foundation for federal government customers, including the U.S. Navy."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy plans to acquire a total of 35 LSMs. Based on this contract win, Hanwha aims to fully enter the U.S. Navy warship market and continue preparations, including personnel training and equipment investment, to secure follow-on orders.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original