U.S. Navy Secretary nominee Hong Kao has visited the Hanwha shipyard, confirming expectations for increased collaboration between Hanwha and the U.S. government in pursuing naval contracts.
Kao, who is currently serving as the acting Secretary of the Navy, took over the role after the sudden resignation of former Secretary John F. Kirby in April. Recently, President Donald Trump nominated Kao as the official Secretary of the Navy.
Hanwha expressed pride in hosting Acting Secretary Kao at their shipyard, stating, "We are significantly expanding our ship delivery capabilities."
This visit is particularly significant as Hanwha is in the process of enhancing its production capacity in the U.S.
Reports indicate that the shipyard has increased its American workforce from 1,000 to over 2,200 in just two years. Hanwha Group is actively working to boost its shipbuilding capabilities in the U.S., with recent improvements in productivity being implemented by Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Systems.
One of the markets Hanwha is targeting is U.S. Navy vessels. The U.S. has been working to expand its shipbuilding industry to address delays in vessel construction and a lack of production capacity.
Hanwha Ocean has outlined plans to leverage its shipbuilding experience from South Korea and its local production base to participate in future U.S. Navy projects.
Additionally, Hanwha Group is pursuing mergers and acquisitions to secure further shipbuilding capabilities in the U.S. They are working towards a 100% acquisition of Austal USA, the U.S. division of the Australian shipbuilding and defense company Austal.
Austal USA produces vessels for the U.S. Navy and modules for nuclear submarines. If the acquisition is successful, Hanwha is expected to establish a production base for directly building U.S. Navy vessels in the U.S., following their operations in Philadelphia.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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