Hanwha Philly Shipyard was selected as the shipyard to build a support vessel linked to the 'Golden Dome' missile defense system.
At the naming ceremony for the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) No. 4, the Lone Star State, held at Hanwha Philly Shipyard on the 17th local time, the U.S. Maritime Administration officially announced that it had signed a contract to build a maritime missile test instrumentation vessel (MRIV). These MRIVs, known as 'Golden Defenders,' are scheduled for delivery starting in 2030. The MRIV is a sea-based missile test instrumentation vessel that supports trajectory tracking, telemetry collection, communications, and analysis of test results during missile flight tests. It is considered an essential system for building the U.S. next-generation air and missile defense system, the 'Golden Dome.'
Hanwha Philly Shipyard will handle vessel construction, while TOTE Services, the vessel construction manager (VCM), will oversee schedule and cost management throughout the build to ensure delivery on time and within budget. The two companies are also working together on a project to build five National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs) commissioned by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) under the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Earlier, on the 15th, President Trump attended the Defense Innovation Summit at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania and stressed the need to strengthen U.S. naval power. He said, "We are going to build a big NSMV at the beautiful and historic Philadelphia Naval Shipyard."
Hanwha Philly Shipyard was chosen to build the MRIV because it had previously won an NSMV project from the U.S. Maritime Administration and successfully completed the construction. The shipyard has won contracts for a total of five NSMVs, delivered three, and is currently building two more. Hanwha Philly Shipyard and Hanwha Defense USA are also preparing to enter the U.S. naval shipbuilding market by participating in the conceptual design project for the U.S. Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS).
Meanwhile, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS) report published in January, titled 'Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress,' the annual average cost of new U.S. Navy ship construction in the coming years is estimated to reach $35.8 billion.
Kim So-hyung, compact@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
