Hanwha Defense USA has signed a $269 million contract with TOTE Services to build a landing ship medium (LSM) for the U.S. Navy, marking Hanwha Group's first warship order since acquiring Philadelphia-based Philly Shipyard in December 2024. The contract also includes options for three additional vessels, with construction expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027. The LSM is an expeditionary vessel designed to transport and deploy Marine Corps personnel, equipment and supplies in contested coastal areas, including the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. Navy aims to acquire 35 such vessels, based on the LST-100 design developed by Dutch shipbuilder Damen. The ship measures 100 meters in length and 16 meters in width, with a light displacement of approximately 2,687 tons and a cruising range of about 7,400 kilometers. TOTE Services, which manages shipbuilding contracts for the Navy, selected builders through competitive bidding based on safety records, quality standards and delivery performance; Hanwha Philly Shipyard has previously built four National Security Multi-Mission Vessels for the U.S. Maritime Administration under the same model. The order follows Hanwha's $5 billion investment plan for the shipyard and recent steps including participation in designing the Navy's Next Generation Logistics Ship, selection to build a Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel for the Golden Dome missile defense system, and the September creation of subsidiary Hanwha Defense USA Shipbuilding. It also represents early progress under the Korea-U.S. Make American Shipbuilding Great Again initiative, through which Seoul pledged $150 billion in shipbuilding cooperation. Hanwha Defense USA CEO Michael Coulter said the company would work with TOTE Services to deliver the vessel on schedule and within budget.