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Hanwha Group to help with concept design of U.S. Navy's Next-Generation Logistics Ship

Published: 31 Mar. 2026, 15:51

A national security multipurpose ship is docked at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia on Aug. 27, 2025. [NEWS1]

Hanwha Group will help with the concept design for the U.S. Navy’s Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS), marking the first case of a Korean company carrying out a U.S. Navy ship program through a local shipyard since the launch of the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation initiative.

The work will be done through Hanwha Philly Shipyard and Hanwha Defense USA in cooperation with Vard, a ship design and engineering group, according to Hanwha on Monday.

Hanwha Philly Shipyard and Hanwha Defense USA signed a cooperation agreement with Vard on the NGLS concept design program, with the project slated for completion in the first quarter of 2027.

Hanwha will execute the market research, concept design and improvement work for the new NGLS platform. The company will also support production capability, application of commercial shipbuilding methods and production cost analysis.

Vard will provide ship design, engineering and shipbuilding technology services through its U.S. arm in Houston.

The NGLS will handle missions such as fuel and cargo resupply and rearming at sea and ashore. The U.S. Navy has framed it as part of a future logistics fleet built around affordability and sustainment.

The U.S. Navy’s solicitation describes NGLS as a new class meant to augment the current Combat Logistics Force, which the U.S. Military Sealift Command considers the supply line that keeps Navy ships fueled, provisioned and armed at sea.

President Lee Jae Myung, center, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, third from left, and executives of Hanwha Ocean pose for a photo during Lee's visit to Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia on Aug. 27, 2025. [YONHAP]

The partnership marks the first time that Hanwha has taken on a job for the U.S. Navy since it acquired the Philly Shipyard in 2024. Hanwha Defense USA is a subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace and focuses on advanced defense and shipbuilding solutions for the U.S. market.

According to Hanwha, the contract is a sign that its U.S. shipbuilding and defense business is entering a more serious expansion phase.

The U.S. Congressional Budget Office estimated in January 2025 that carrying out the U.S. Navy’s 2025 shipbuilding plan would require an average annual spending of $35.8 billion on new ship construction over the next 30 years.

“Hanwha is proud to partner with Vard in the design and integration of the [NGLS] for the U.S. Navy,” said Hanwha Defense USA President of Shipbuilding Tom Anderson. “This [...] represents an important step in our ability to leverage our world-class shipbuilding expertise in building the ships the U.S. Navy needs to support our service members deployed in contested maritime domains.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KO SUK-HYUN [[email protected]]