Hanwha Defense USA has secured a $269 million contract to build a medium landing ship for the US Navy and Marine Corps at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia. The order, worth about 360 billion won, is Hanwha’s first contract for construction of a new US Navy vessel since the group acquired the shipyard in 2024.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027. The agreement also includes options for three additional ships, although the supplied evidence does not confirm that those options will be exercised. The wider program has set a 2030 delivery target for its first vessel.
- Confirmed contract
- One medium landing ship worth $269 million
- Construction start
- Fourth quarter of 2027
- Additional options
- Three vessels, not yet confirmed orders
The contract was awarded through Tote Services rather than signed directly between the Navy and the shipyard. The US Navy selected Tote in July 2026 to manage a shipbuilding program valued at $2.2 billion, with responsibility for choosing shipyards and overseeing construction. Tote then conducted a competitive process and selected Hanwha, citing its price competitiveness and acceptance of the contract terms.
A managed competition for the shipyard
Under Tote’s initial agreement, the company is expected to manage construction of as many as eight landing ships. That program ceiling is separate from Hanwha’s confirmed order for one vessel and its three optional ships, so the figures should not be treated as a single firm order for Hanwha.
The award moves Hanwha’s Philadelphia operation beyond maintenance and repair work into new naval construction. Hanwha says it has invested in workers and technology since acquiring the yard so it can build ships for the Navy and other US federal customers. Progress toward the planned 2027 construction start, along with any decision on the three options, will show how far this first award expands the group’s position in the US military shipbuilding market.