Hanwha Ocean Partners with U.S. Naval Ship Design Firm to Accelerate Entry into American Market

Signed MOU with Leidos Gibbs & Cox

Integrating U.S. Ship Design Expertise with Hanwha Ocean’s Shipbuilding Capabilities

Hanwha Ocean is accelerating its entry into the U.S. naval shipbuilding market by partnering with a defense company that has established standards for U.S. Navy ship design. The company plans to enhance its global business competitiveness by combining Hanwha Ocean’s shipbuilding capabilities with the U.S. partner’s ship design expertise.

Seongcheol Uh, President of Hanwha Ocean (fourth from the left), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen the shipbuilding capabilities of the U.S. and allied navies with Mike Rickels, Vice President of Raytheon Leidos Gibbs & Cox (third from the left), at SAS 2026 held in Maryland, USA, on the 21st (local time). Hanwha Ocean

On April 21, 2026 (local time), Hanwha Ocean announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Leidos Gibbs & Cox at SAS 2026, held in Maryland, USA, to strengthen the shipbuilding capabilities of the U.S. and its allied naval forces.

Through this agreement, the two companies have agreed to: ▲ design Hanwha Ocean-type ships optimized for U.S. Navy specifications; ▲ jointly develop next-generation ships targeting the global market; ▲ establish a supply chain utilizing production bases both in the U.S. and South Korea; and ▲ pursue ship designs optimized for efficient production and long-term maintenance.

Hanwha Ocean explained that, through this agreement, it is establishing a “practical joint front” with Leidos Gibbs & Cox to strengthen competitiveness in the U.S. Navy shipbuilding sector and the global shipbuilding business, thereby securing a unique competitive edge.

Gibbs & Cox, a core subsidiary of Leidos, has designed more than 70% of the U.S. Navy’s surface vessels since World War II. The company provides design and engineering services for key U.S. Navy projects, including the Aegis destroyer (DDG-51), next-generation frigate (FFG-62), Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV), and next-generation destroyer (DDG(X)). Gibbs & Cox is recognized as having the most comprehensive understanding and implementation of the U.S. Navy’s operational requirements and technical specifications.

Leidos Gibbs & Cox is known as the key partner that played a central role when Italy’s Fincantieri entered the U.S. naval ship market. Fincantieri successfully established itself in the U.S. market for Constellation-class frigates and Freedom-class littoral combat ships through collaboration with Leidos Gibbs & Cox.

Mike Rickels, Vice President of Leidos Gibbs & Cox, stated, “Leidos prides itself on being a trusted partner of the U.S. Navy for decades. By combining proven design expertise with world-class manufacturing capabilities through our collaboration with Hanwha Ocean, we will be able to develop ships optimized for future changes.”

Sungchul Uh, Head of the Special Ship Division at Hanwha Ocean, commented, “This agreement will serve as an opportunity for Hanwha Ocean to secure a firm technological advantage not only in the U.S. ship market but also in the global shipbuilding industry. By collaborating with Leidos, a leading U.S. defense company, we will accelerate our entry into the global maritime defense market and achieve tangible results.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.