An aerial view of Hanwha Philly Shipyard. [Hanwha]
An aerial view of Hanwha Philly Shipyard. [Hanwha]

Wholly owned by Hanwha, Hanwha Philly Shipyard has been selected to build support vessels linked to the United States' "Golden Dome" missile defense system.

According to Hanwha, the US Maritime Administration officially announced the contract to build Maritime Range Instrumentation Vessels (MRIV) at a Friday naming ceremony for the fourth National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV), the Lone Star State, held at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. The vessels, to be known as Golden Defenders, are scheduled for delivery beginning in 2030.

MRIVs support missile flight tests by tracking trajectories, collecting telemetry data, managing communications and analyzing test results. They are considered an essential component of the Golden Dome, the United States' next-generation airborne missile defense system.

Hanwha Philly Shipyard will carry out the project alongside vessel construction manager Tote Services. The shipyard will handle vessel construction while Tote Services oversees scheduling and cost management for the entire build. The two companies are also collaborating on a project to construct five NSMVs for the US Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration.

The MRIV contract carries particular significance as it marks Hanwha Philly Shipyard's participation in a US national security project under the Donald Trump administration's Making American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA) initiative.

South Korea and the United States earlier released a joint fact sheet during tariff negotiations that included a commitment by South Korea to invest approximately $150 billion in the US shipbuilding industry. Hanwha Philly Shipyard is regarded as a central pillar of that plan, as it is the only US shipyard in which a Korean company holds an ownership stake.

David Kim, CEO of Hanwha Philly Shipyard, said Philadelphia has a long history of building ships for the nation and that the shipyard is proud to carry on that legacy. "This project is a tangible example of what is possible when proven design capabilities, a skilled workforce and close cooperation between government and industry come together," he said.

Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said he was honored to announce the contract for the new missile test and evaluation support vessel, the Golden Defender, at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. "This vessel will support the construction of America's Golden Dome missile defense system," he said.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Wednesday publicly announced plans to build NSMVs at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. Speaking at the Defense Innovation Summit at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania, Trump stressed the need to expand US naval power and said, "We will be making large NSMVs at the beautiful, storied Philadelphia shipyard."

Michael Coulter, CEO of Hanwha Defense USA, who attended the same event, said, "Our shipyards in Korea build approximately one ship per week," adding, "We plan to bring that capability to Hanwha Philly Shipyard."


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com