Hanwha Philly Shipyard Selected to Build Its First US Navy Ship, a $269 Million Medium Landing Ship
Hanwha Defense USA said on Oct. 29 that TOTE Services had chosen its Philly Shipyard to build one Medium Landing Ship for the US Navy and Marine Corps under TOTE's $2.2 billion construction-management contract, with options for three more vessels.
Hanwha Defense USA said on Oct. 29 that it had been selected by TOTE Services to build a Medium Landing Ship (LSM) for the US Navy and Marine Corps, the first shipbuilder chosen under TOTE Services' Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) contract and, according to the company, its first contract to build ships for the US Navy.
The award covers construction of one LSM at Hanwha Philly Shipyard, valued at $269 million, with options for three additional vessels, Hanwha Defense USA said. The deal is a subcontract rather than a direct Navy award: TOTE Services said when its own contract was announced on July 13 that it holds the prime contract with the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Maritime, the Navy office running the program, and awards and manages shipyard subcontracts directly.
That prime contract is valued at $2.2 billion for vessel construction management services covering the new construction of up to eight Medium Landing Ships, according to TOTE Services. Hanwha Defense USA said the VCM contract supports the Navy and Marine Corps' planned 35-ship LSM fleet, with the program's first vessel expected to be delivered in 2030.
TOTE Services said the competition secured build positions that allow construction to start in the fourth quarter of 2027. "This award shows the speed at which the VCM model can move from RFP to contract," the company said. TOTE Services pioneered the VCM model on the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel program for the US Maritime Administration, and Hanwha Philly Shipyard has already built and delivered four of those vessels under the same model with TOTE Services, according to Hanwha Defense USA.
Hanwha Defense USA is a subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace of South Korea. Hanwha acquired Philly Shipyard in 2024 and has since made significant investments in the yard's workforce and technology, a Hanwha Defense USA executive said in the announcement.
The LSM baseline design derives from Damen Shipyards' LST 100, a roughly 4,000-tonne beachable landing ship about 100 meters long with bow doors and a ramp for direct beaching, according to Naval News. The Navy's requirements call for a range of at least 3,400 nautical miles, a sustained speed of 15 knots, a payload of more than 500 tonnes of Marines and equipment, and a stern flight deck for helicopters and VTOL aircraft, Naval News reported. The program supports Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations, according to Naval News, which also reported that Fincantieri Marinette Marine received an initial contract in April 2026 for long-lead material and production preparation for the initial tranche of vessels. The Nigerian Navy operates one LST-100, the parent design.
No LSM is yet in service. GlobalMilitary.net's inventory lists one on order for the US Navy, the future USS McClung (LSM-1). The US Navy's amphibious fleet counts 31 active amphibious warfare ships in GlobalMilitary.net's inventory: two America-class, seven Wasp-class, 13 San Antonio-class, four Harpers Ferry-class and five Whidbey Island-class ships. One more America-class and one San Antonio-class ship are fitting out, and one America-class and two San Antonio-class ships are on order.
Under the schedule outlined by TOTE Services, construction of the Hanwha ship can begin in the fourth quarter of 2027, and the program's first LSM is expected in 2030, according to Hanwha Defense USA. If TOTE Services exercises all three options, Hanwha Philly Shipyard's share of the program would rise to four ships.
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