Hanwha Group’s U.S. subsidiary, Hanwha Philly Shipyard, has been selected to build three Maritime Range Instrumentation Vessels (MRIVs) for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration, supporting the U.S. military’s Golden Dome missile defense program.
The award is the first U.S. shipbuilding contract secured by a South Korean company since the launch of the Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation initiative, MASGA. Earlier cooperation between the two countries had mainly focused on memorandums of understanding and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.
Under the project, Hanwha Philly Shipyard will design and construct the vessels, while Tote Services will manage material procurement and overall project oversight. Hanwha did not disclose the contract value. Industry sources estimate the three-vessel program at approximately $1.5 billion. The vessels, named Golden Defender, are scheduled for sequential delivery beginning in June 2030.
MRIVs serve as offshore tracking platforms that record missile test data, including flight speed, altitude and trajectory during missile and interceptor launches. Although they are not combat vessels, they provide measurement capabilities required for testing the Golden Dome missile defense system. The program will replace aging U.S. military MRIVs built during the 1960s and 1970s.
The contract follows Hanwha Philly Shipyard’s ongoing National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program for the U.S. Maritime Administration. The shipyard has delivered three of the five vessels ordered, while the remaining two are under construction.
As a U.S.-based shipyard employing an American workforce, Hanwha Philly Shipyard is exempt from the Byrnes-Tollefson Amendment, which restricts foreign shipyards from building U.S. military vessels or major ship components.
The MRIV program was publicly referenced by White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought during the naming ceremony for the fourth NSMV on 17 June 2026. He said the Golden Defender vessels being built by Hanwha Philly Shipyard would support the Golden Dome missile defense system.
South Korean shipbuilders are also expanding their presence in the U.S. market. On 19 July, HD Hyundai announced a strategic partnership with Kiewit covering shipbuilding and block and module production. While Hanwha Group is expanding through ownership of a U.S. shipyard, HD Hyundai is pursuing cooperation with U.S. shipbuilding companies.
Washington, D.C. will host the opening of the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Cooperation Center on 23 July. The center is expected to support cooperation between the two countries by strengthening local industry networks and workforce development for U.S. shipyards.
