Hanwha Philly Shipyard Selected to Build Navy Landing Ship Medium

TOTE Services selected Hanwha Defense USA to build a Landing Ship Medium (LSM) vessel at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. The reported award covers one ship and includes options for up to three additional vessels.

Key details

• Reported award value: $269 million for the initial vessel.
• The selection is described as TOTE Services’ first shipyard selection as LSM vessel construction manager.
• The report identifies the contract as Hanwha Defense USA’s first U.S. Navy contract.
• The Navy named TOTE Services the LSM program’s first vessel construction manager in July 2026 under a reported $2.2 billion contract.
• TOTE said construction could begin in the fourth quarter of 2027.
• TOTE said it remained in contract discussions with Bollinger Shipyards and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, which it expected to contribute to the LSM fleet.

Why it matters

The vessel construction manager serves as prime contractor and oversees construction and delivery through direct contracts, according to the Navy as quoted in the report. The Hanwha selection adds a shipyard to the LSM program’s planned construction work, while TOTE’s discussions with two other shipyards point to a wider group of builders for the fleet.

What happens next

TOTE said construction could start in the fourth quarter of 2027, while discussions with Bollinger Shipyards and Fincantieri Marinette Marine continue. Which shipyard development in the LSM program will you be watching next?