Naval vessels are seen at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pa., in this undated photo. Courtesy of Hanwha Group
Hanwha Group has expressed its intent to build nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy at its shipyard in Philadelphia, calling the facility the ideal location to accelerate the ongoing construction of Virginia-class submarines.
During a press conference Monday (local time) at Hanwha Philly Shipyard, the Korean conglomerate said workforce reinforcement, productivity improvement, facility investment and technology transfer are underway to prepare for U.S. Navy submarine construction.
The press conference came just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned Hanwha as the company that would work with the U.S. Navy to build new frigates. He described Hanwha as “a good company,” referring to its planned $5 billion expansion at the shipyard, which it bought for $100 million a year ago.
“The U.S. government’s commitment to nuclear-powered submarine capability, its own and of the allies is very strong,” Hanwha Group Chief Strategy Officer Alex Wong, a former U.S. deputy national security adviser, said at the press conference.
“We stand ready to fulfill the ability to build those submarines here in Philly when the governments are ready.”
Hanwha Group Chief Strategy Officer Alex Wong speaks during a press conference at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pa., Monday (local time). Yonhap
Retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Tom Anderson, president of U.S. shipbuilding at Hanwha Defense USA, told reporters that the shipyard could help Washington achieve its goal of building a fleet of 66 Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines by 2054.
With only 24 Virginia-class submarines commissioned to date, the United States needs to build at least two nuclear-powered submarines every year to reach the goal. However, the nation has produced an average of just 1.2 annually.
Highlighting Hanwha Philly Shipyard’s proximity to other U.S. shipyards building Virginia-class submarines, the Korean firm expressed confidence in its ability to deliver the already-designed submarines on schedule.
Anderson also emphasized the company’s plan to leverage the supply chain of Hanwha Ocean’s shipyard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province.
If Hanwha Philly Shipyard receives orders to build U.S. nuclear-powered submarines, Korean experts involved in the project are also expected to contribute to the construction of nuclear-powered submarines for the Republic of Korea Navy, which gained U.S. approval following a summit between the two nations’ leaders in October.
“If construction of U.S. nuclear-powered submarines begins at Philly Shipyard, it will allow Korean subcontractors to join the global supply chain and boost the regional economy,” Cho Jong-woo, head of shipyard operations at Hanwha Philly Shipyard, said.
According to Hanwha, the shipyard is considering additional investment using part of the $150 billion that Korea plans to spend on the “Make America Shipbuilding Great Again” project, which the two nations agreed to pursue to revive U.S. shipbuilding with Korean investment.
The conglomerate also said that the number of directly hired employees at the shipyard has increased 30 percent from the previous year.