Hanwha Philly Shipyard awarded $2B contract to build two missile-tracking vessels for Pentagon

Published Jul 21, 03:14 PM UTC

The Hanwha Philly Shipyard, a subsidiary of South Korea's Hanwha Group, has been awarded a $2 billion contract to build two Missile Range Instrumentation Vessels (MRIVs) for the Pentagon. The announcement was made by White House OMB Director Russ Vought during the christening of a national security multi-mission vessel in Philadelphia. The new ships will replace the aging Pacific Tracker (built 1965) and Pacific Collector (built 1970), which monitor ballistic missile tests in the Pacific for the Missile Defense Agency. The first MRIV, named Golden Defender, is scheduled for delivery in June 2030 and will support President Trump's Golden Dome missile defense system. TOTE Services will serve as vessel construction manager. The shipyard has previously delivered four national security multi-mission vessels to the Maritime Administration, with a fifth due in 2027.