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Athens · Sunday, 1 November 2026

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The Philadelphia shipyard with a National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) under construction

Defense Industry

Hanwha: the first US Navy medium landing ship (LSM) will be built at the Philadelphia shipyard, in a $269 million contract with options for three more

TOTE Services announced on October 30 that Hanwha’s Philadelphia shipyard will build the first Landing Ship Medium for the US Navy, a $269 million contract with options for three more ships. Delivery of the first is expected in 2030.

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The Philadelphia shipyard with a National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) under construction (file photo). Photo: MastersHall, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Hanwha’s shipyard in Philadelphia will build the first of the US Navy’s new Landing Ship Medium (LSM) vessels. The selection was announced on Friday, October 30 by TOTE Services, which the Navy has tasked with managing construction under the programme. The contract is for one ship worth $269 million (about €231 million), with an option for three more.

A subcontract, not a direct Navy contract

The LSM follows a new procurement scheme. Instead of signing directly with shipyards, the Navy awarded TOTE Services a $2.2 billion (about €1.9 billion) “vessel construction manager” contract covering the planned 35-ship fleet. The company in turn selects shipyards and subcontracts construction to them. The base contract provides for up to eight new ships.

Hanwha Defense USA is the first shipbuilder selected, with the Hanwha Philly Shipyard, following a request for proposals issued in July 2026. According to TOTE, it won thanks to its competitive price and its acceptance of the subcontract terms. Negotiations continue with the programme’s other two shipyards, Bollinger Shipyards and Fincantieri Marinette Marine.

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TOTE applies the same model on behalf of the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) in the five-ship National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) programme built in Philadelphia. Four have already been delivered and the fifth, Golden State, is expected in 2027. That experience, the company says, lets the shipyard start building quickly. TOTE Services president Jeff Dixon praised PAE Maritime for its commitment to the model and the Navy’s leadership for rethinking how ships are delivered to the fleet.

First delivery in 2030

Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027, and the programme’s first ship will be delivered in 2030. “The award shows how quickly the construction manager model can go from solicitation to contract,” Dixon said. Hanwha Defense USA president and CEO Michael Coulter recalled that the group has invested heavily in the shipyard’s workforce and technology since acquiring it in 2024. Hanwha recently took control of Philly Shipyard.

Hanwha Landing Ship Medium US Navy

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